Soldering/pBrazing 

Hobart 


« 


SOFT  SOLDERING,  HARD 
SOLDERING  AND  BRAZING 


A  PRACTICAL  TREATISE  ON  TOOLS, 
MATERIAL  AND  OPERATIONS;  FOR 
THE  USE  OF  METAL  WORKERS, 
PLUMBERS,  TINNERS,  MECHANICS 
AND  MANUFACTURERS  : 

BY 

JAMES  F.  HOBART,  M.  E. 


WITH  62  ILLUSTRATIONS  REPRODUCED  FROM 
ORIGINAL  DRAWINGS 


SECOND  EDITION,  CORRECTED 


NEW  YORK 

D.  VAN  NOSTRAND  COMPANY 

250  FOURTH  AVENUE 


C^oN  S 


rr 

£  £7 


HZ  3 

inn 


Copyright,  1912,  19^. 
BY 

JAMES  F.  HOBART 


THE  GETTY  CENTER 
LIBRARY 


PREFACE. 


The  operations  of  soldering  and  brazing  are  suggestive 
to  some  as  being  comparatively  simple  of  execution,  requir¬ 
ing  no  special  degree  of  skill  or  experience  on  the  part  of 
the  workman.  As  a  matter  of  fact  they  involve  a  wide 
range  of  manipulation  and  frequently  demand  experienced 
workmanship  of  a  high  order. 

At  the  same  time  so  many  mechanics  are  accustomed  to 
perform  soldering  operations  with  poorly  prepared  tools  and 
with  appliances  which  might  be  greatly  improved  upon,  that 
the  author  is  led  to  offer  this  book  in  the  hope  that  it  will 
serve  as  a  practical  aid  to  improved  methods,  thereby 
serving  the  interests  of  mechanics  who  seek  advancement 
as  well  as  employers  who  are  alert  to  the  importance  of 
efficiency  and  economy  in  the  methods  pursued  in  their 
establishments. 

Therefore  the  author  has  dwelt  with  considerable  fullness 
upon  the  many  phases  of  soldering  and  brazing,  giving 
the  results  of  experience  and  observation  acquired  through 
long  practice  and  experiment  in  these  channels. 

If  the  result  is  accomplished,  of  assisting  operators  to 
a  larger  appreciation  of  the  requirements  of  expert  work¬ 
manship  in  these  really  important  branches  of  mechanics, 
he  shall  consider  that  the  time  and  labor  spent  in  prepar¬ 
ing  the  treatise  has  been  well  applied. 

James  F.  Hobakt. 
iii 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

PAGE 

Introductory  and  Explanatory  Metallic  Cement  Burning 
or  Autogenous  Soldering — Lead  Burning  Tin  Burning 
— Solders  Commonly  Used — Melting  Points  of  Soft 
Solders— Automatic  Sprinkler  Head  Soldering  Fusible 
Plugs  for  Steam  Boilers — Using  Low  Temperature 
Solders— Changing  Melting  Point  by  Heat  and  Pressure 
—Tin  for  Fusible  Plugs— Mending  Tin  or  Britannia 
Ware — Composition  of  Very  Soft  Solders  Temperature 
Range  of  Solder  Melting  Points — Alloys  and  Their 
Melting  Points — Silver  Soldering— Soldering  with  the 
Blow  Pipe— Closely  Fitted  Joints  for  Soldering— Pene¬ 
tration  of  Hard  Solder— Fluxes  and  Fluxing— Theory  of 
Fluxes — Characteristics  of  a  Flux — A  Universal  Flux 
Lead  and  Tin  Oxidization— Lead  Dross  or  Oxide- 
Formation  of  Oxide— Oxide  Protection  of  Metal- 
Proof  of  Oxidization — Borax  a  Universal  Flux  for  Hard 
S0ider— Effect  of  Heat  on  Resin— Borax  the  Proper 
Flux  for  Welding  Operations — Silica  as  a  Welding  Flux 
—Welding  Steel  with  Lime  Flux— Selecting  Fluxes— 
Substitution  of  Fluxes — Preventing  Coppers  from 
Burning — Transporting  Melted  Metals  Reducing  Oxide 
—Charcoal  Flux— Saving  Oxide— Soldering  Tools,  Ap¬ 
pliances  and  Methods— The  Soldering  Copper  or  Solder¬ 
ing  Iron — Common  Forms  of  Soldering  Coppers  The 

v 


VI 


CONTENTS. 


PACK 

Straight  Copper — The  Hatchet  Bit — Swivel  Head  Cop¬ 
pers — Handles  for  Soldering  Coppers — Coppers  with 
Wooden  Handles — Leather  and  Rawhide  Handles — A 
Household  Soldering  Copper — Commercially  Profitable 
Coppers — Manner  of  Forging  Coppers  to  Shape — 
Forging  Round  Coppers — Filing  Coppers — Special  Forms 
of  Soldering  Coppers — Patterns  for  Soldering  Coppers 
— Casting-in  Soldering  Copper  Handles — Soldering 
Coppers  from  Brass  Foundry — Shape  and  Size  of 
Coppers — Using  the  Heavy  Hatchet  Copper — Purchas¬ 
ing  Special  Coppers — Wire  Soldering  Copper — A 
Handy  Soldering  Tool — Soldering  Coppers  for  Model 
Work — Improved  Soldering  Copper  Handles .  i 

CHAPTER  II. 

Tinning  Soldering  Coppers. 

Cleaning  Coppers  before  Tinning — Protect  Bits  from  Air 
— The  Tinning  Problem — Cleaning  a  Copper  Bit — Filing 
or  Scraping  Methods  of  Cleaning  Coppers — Acid 
Method  of  Cleaning  Coppers — Tinning  Coppers  with 
a  File — Tinning  Two  Coppers  at  Once — Tinning  Cop¬ 
pers  with  Sal-ammoniac — Soldering  Galvanized  Iron 
— The  Brick  Method  of  Tinning  Coppers — Simple 
Soldering  Tools — Tinning  Small  Objects — The  Scraper 
— Tempering  a  Scraper — Case  Hardening  a  Scraper — 

Old  File  Scrapers — Heating  Soldering  Coppers — The 
Bunsen  Burner — The  Gasoline  Blow  Torch — Operating 
a  Bunsen  Burner — Defects  of  Gasoline  Blow  Torches — 
Leakages  in  Blow  Torches — Gasoline  Leakage — Air 
Pump  Leakage — Starting  a  Blow  Torch — A  Blow  Torch 
Furnace — Theory  of  Blow  Torch  Furnaces — The  Blow 
Pipe — Action  of  Blow  Pipe  Flames — Reducing  and  Oxi¬ 
dizing  Flames — When  to  Apply  Fluxes — Soldering  with 


CONTENTS. 


Vll 


PAGE 

Blow  Pipe— Selecting  Solder— Soldering  Ordinary  Tin 
— Soldering  Fluids  and  Compounds .  I3 

CHAPTER  III. 

Solders  and  Fluxes. 

Selected  Solders — Lead  and  Tin  Alloys — English  Plumber’s 
Solder — Comparison  of  Solder  Melting  Points  Manner 
of  Making  Solder— Iron  Absorbed  by'  Solder — Molds 
for  Solder  Sticks— Patterns  for  Soldering  Coppers— Dry 
Molds  before  Using  Them— Casting  Solder  “Pigs”— 
Fluxes  and  Fluxing — Mechanical  Action  of  Fluxes 
The  Common  Fluxes — Soldering  Compounds — Solder¬ 
ing  Paste — Action  of  Colophony — Soldering  Liquids 
Chloride  of  Zinc — A  Good  Soldering  Fluid — Preparing 
Chloride  of  Zinc— Lactic  Acid  Soldering  Fluid— 
Gaudien’s  Soldering  Fluid— Borax  and  Resin  Soldering 
Fluids — Dissolving  Borax  and  Resin — Gums  and  Resins 
Soluble  in  Gasoline  and  Alcohol— Fluxes  for  Aluminum 
— Fluxes  for  Aluminum  and  Bronze .  29 

CHAPTER  IV. 

Soldering  Fluids. 

Tinning  with  Chloride  of  Zinc — Coloring  Soft  Solder  Seams 
— A  Copper  Solution — Blue  V itriol  Solution  of  Zinc 
Gilding  Soldered  Seams — Method  of  Making  Soldering 
Fluids — Precautions  Necessary  in  “Cutting”  Zinc 
Cleaning  Zinc  to  Avoid  Acid  Fumes — Filter  the  Zinc 
Chloride  Solution— Testing  Hydrochloric  Acid— Using 
the  Hydrometer— Absorption  of  Hydrochloric  Acid  Gas 
by  Water — A  Home  Made  Hydrometer — Calibrating  the 
Hydrometer— Selecting  Acid  by  Hydrometer  Test— 


VI 11 


CONTEXTS. 


PACE 

Making  Soldering  Compounds — Filtering  and  Straining 
Resin  and  Sal-ammoniac  Solutions — A  Resin  Soap — 
Pulverizing  by  Chemical  Methods — Compounds  Stored 
in  Small.  Close  Vessels — Silver  Soldering — Strength  of 
Soldered  Joints — Silver  Solders  where  Used — Solders  for 
Gold — Hard  Silver  Solders — Hard  Silver  Solders  for  First 
Soldering — Softer  Silver  Solders — Silver  Solders  for  After 
Soldering — Methods  of  Silver  Soldering — Soldering 
with  the  Blow  Pipe — The  Blow  Pipe — Blow  Pipe 
Squeeze  Soldering — Blow  Pipe  Fitted  Joint  Soldering 
— Blow  Pipe  Soldering  on  Charcoal — Gas  Blow  Pipe — 

Air  Gas  Blow  Pipe — Home  Made  Gasoline  Blow  Pipe — 
Range  Boiler  Gas  Generator — Gasoline  Blow  Pipe 
Arrangement — Blow  Pipe  Torch — Substitute  for  Smith’s 
Forge .  39 


CHAPTER  V. 

Soldering  Operations. 

Fluxes  for  Silver  Soldering — Borax  the  Foundation  for 
Fluxes — Borax  and  Potash — Boracic  Acid — Ferro- 
cyanide  of  Potash — Yellow  Prussiate  of  Potash — Carbo¬ 
nate  of  Soda — Sal-ammoniac — Flowers  of  Sulphur — 
Boracic  Acid  Flux — Method  of  Applying  Fluxes — Silver 
Soldering — Flux  Paddle  or  Spatula — When  Fluxes 
Should  Be  Applied — Flux  on  Flat  and  Cylindrical  Work 
— Applying  Hard  Solder — Causes  of  Poor  Soldering  and 
Brazing — Fine  Iron  Wire  for  Holding  Solder — Keeping 
Hard  Solder  Flux  in  Place — Finishing  Hard  Solder 
Joints — Removing  Excess  of  Solder — Scrajiing  Hard  Sol¬ 
der  Joints — When  Hard  Solder  Joint  Cleaning  Should 
Be  Done — Proving  Hard  Soldered  Work — Cause  of 
Defective  Hard  Soldering — Using  Soldering  Coppers— 
Cause  of  Defective  Soft  Soldering — Soldering  Two  Flat 


CONTENTS. 


IX 


PAGE 

Pieces — Running  a  Plain  Seam — Cause  of  Uneven  and 
Bulging  Seams— Speed  of  Soldering— Position  of  Solder¬ 
ing  Coppers— Length  of  Bevel  on  Soldering  Coppers— 
Capillary  Attraction— Heat  Transmitted  from  a  Copper 
—Judging  Heat  of  a  Copper— Soldering  with  the 
Corner  of  the  Copper — Soldering  Very  Light  Seams— 
Soldering  Fusible  Substances — Running  Long  Seams 
Imitating  the  Lead  Burned  Seams— How  to  Make 
Smooth  Seams— Cause  of  Rough  Seams— Patching  a 
Seam— Making  a  Smooth  Stop  in  a  Seam— Applying 
Solder .  5‘ 


CHAPTER  VI. 


Difficult  Operations  in  Soldering. 


Soldering  Vertical  Seams— Scraping  a  Seam— Avoiding 
Chattering  of  a  Scraper— The  Scratch  Brush— The 
Brass  Wire  Scratch  Brush — Tinning  with  the  Scratch 
Brush — Soldering  Small  Work — Perforating  Card  Board 
—Minuteness  of  Small  Soldering— Heavy  Soldering- 
Soldering  with  a  Blow  Pipe— Soldering  Heavy  Work 
with  a  Light  Copper— Method  of  Tinning  Brass  and 
Copper— Tinning  Zinc  Surfaces— Chloride  of  Zinc 
Solution— “Cut”  Acid— Heating  with  the  Blow 
Torch  and  Tinning  with  the  Copper— Tinning  Iron  and 
Steel — Protochloride  of  Tin — Tinning  by  Contact 
Tinning  Hard  Steel— The  Temperature  of  Melted  Tin- 
Discoloring  Temperature  of  Hardened  Steel— Action  of 
Acid  on  Metal— Acid  Oxidizing  Process— Tinning 
Galvanized  Iron— Soldering  Galvanized  Iron— Fitting 
Work  Together — Tensile  Strength  of  Solder  Soldering 
with  Tin  Foil — Sweating  the  Joint — Removing  Super¬ 
fluous  Solder— Plumbers’  Wipe  Pads— “ Spirits  of  Salt” 


X 


CONTENTS. 


PAGE 

— Chloride  of  Sodium — Sulphuric  Acid— Carbonate  of 
Soda— “  Killed  ”  Spirits  of  Salt .  67 

CHAPTER  VII. 

Wiping  Joints. 

Soldering  Lead  Pipe — Flanging  Lead  Pipe — Sawing  Lead 
Pipe— Pipe  Expanding  Plug— Parabolic  Expanding  Plug 
—Male  End  of  Pipe  Joint— Soldering  Vertical  Pipes— 
Soldering  Horizontal  Pipes— Imitating  Wipe  Joints  in 
Pipes— An  Ordinary  Wipe-Solder  Pipe  Joint— Scraping 
Pipe  for  Wipe  Joints — Making  Wipe  Joints — Tools 
for  Wipe  Joints— Ladle  for  Wipe  Joints— Melting  Pot 
Used  for  Wipe  Joints— Scraping  Pipe  to  Be  Wipe 
Jointed — Proper  Pipe  for  Wipe  Joints — Expanding 
Pipe  Ends  for  Wiping— Blacking  Pipe  before  Wiping 
—Paper  on  Wipe  Joints— Placing  Pipes  for  Wiping 
Joints— Tallow  for  Wipe  Joints— Lead  Pipe  Prepared 
for  Wipe  Joints— Solder  for  Wipe  Joints— Melting 
Point  of  Tin— Melting  Point  of  Half-and-Half  Solder — 
Melting  Point  of  Lead  and  Tin— Making  Solder  for 
Wipe  Joints— Heating  Pipe  for  Wipe  Joints— Testing 
Temperature  of  Wiping  Solder— White  Pine  Solder  Test¬ 
ing  Stick — Testing  Solder  Temperature  with  a  Match 
—Beginning  Wipe  Jointing— Applying  Melted  Solder  to 
a  Wipe  Joint— Wipe  Joint  Heating  Operation— Pads 
for  Wipe  Joints— Protecting  Fingers  while  Wiping 
Joints— Catch  Heating  Solder  while  Wiping  Joints— 
Pouring  Solder  on  the  Joint— Size  of  Solder  Stream- 
Height  of  1-adle  above  Wipe  Joint — Covering  Surface 
of  Wipe  Joint — Returning  Solder  to  the  Melting 
Pot— Heating  the  Joint— Commencing  the  Wiping 
Operation— Too  Much  Melted  Solder— Solder  Slumps 
in  Wipe  Joints— Finishing  a  Wipe  Joint — Working 


CONTENTS. 


xi 


PAGE 

Solder  on  the  Wipe  Joint— Non- Adhering  Solder  in 
Wipe  Joints — Preventing  Solder  from  Dropping  from 
Wipe  Joints — Joint  Wiper  Must  Be  an  Artist — Sense 
of  Proportion  Necessary  in  Wiping  Joints — Symmetrical 
Wipe  Joints — The  Artistic  Instinct  in  Wiping  Joints — 
Finishing  a  Wipe  Joint — Distributing  Solder  Sym¬ 
metrically  on  Wipe  Joints — Using  Single  and  Double 
Pads  on  Wipe  Joints — Position  of  Fingers  on  Joint 
Wiping  Pads — Removing  Superfluous  Solder  from  the 
Wipe  Joint — Time  Necessary  for  Wiping  Joints — A 
Patched  Joint  is  Undesirable — Poor  Wipe  Joints 
Should  be  Melted  Over — Finishing  a  Wipe  Joint — 
When  to  Quit  Wiping  a  Joint — Shaping  a  Wipe  Joint 
too  Quickly — Poor  Form  of  Wipe  Joint  Finishing- 
Stringy  and  Ridgy  Surface  of  Wipe  Joints — Avoid 
Lengthwise  Strokes  in  Finishing  Wipe  Joints  Joints 
Finished  without  a  Perceptible  Mark— Correct  Form  of 
Wipe  Joint  Finishing — Correct  Finishing  of  Wipe 
Joints — A  Symmetrical,  Smooth,  Solid  Joint  Poor 
Form  of  Wipe  Joint — Poorly  Finished  Wipe  Joint — 
Removing  Wipe  Pads  from  the  Finished  Wipe  Joints — 
Correct  Form  of  Wipe  Joint  Finishing— Correctly 
Finished  Wipe  Joint— Cultivation  of  Form  In  Wipe 
Joints— Some  Other  Defects  of  Wipe  Joints— Cavities 
in  Wipe  Joints— Cold  “Shuts”  in  Wipe  Joints— 
“Lick  and  Promise”  Wipe  Joints— Corrosion  of  Lead 
Pipe  by  Water — A  Leakage  Defect — Cold  Solder  on 
Wipe  Joints — Obstruction  in  Wipe  at  a  Wipe  Joint 
— Importance  of  Close  Fitting  Wipe  Joints— Other 
Hot  Metal  Wipe  Joint  Defects— Melting  a  Wipe 
Joint — Softening  Lead  Pipe  when  Wipe  Jointing — 
Horizontal  Spread  of  a  Wipe  Joint— Flattening  Down 
of  a  Wipe  Joint — Appearance  of  a  Flat  Wipe  Joint — 
Margin  of  Safety  between  Solder  and  Pipe— Wipe  Joint¬ 
ing  Precautions — Moisture  and  Wipe  Joints — Drying 


\11 


CONTENTS. 


PACE 

Out  Joints  to  be  Wiped — Holding  Work  Solid  when 
Wiping  Joints — A  “C”  Clamp — Holding  Short  Pieces 
of  Pipe — Effect  of  Water  in  Wipe  Joints — Testing  Pipe 
to  be  Wipe  Joined — Melting  Point  of  Lead  Pipe — 

Flux  for  Joint  Wiping — Tallow  a  Flux  for  Lead — Pure 
Tallow,  to  Obtain — Cotton  Seed  Oil  and  Fish  Oil — 
Adulterated  Tallow— Trying  Out  Suet— Tallow  Kettle 
— Straining  Dirty  Tallow — Resin  and  Wipe  Joints — 
Shop  Dirt  in  the  Melting  Pot — Dip  Out  Clean  Solder — 

Care  of  Wipe  Pads — Bed  Ticking  Pads — Asbestos 
Pads — Tallow  the  Pipe  Pads — Thin  Wipe  Pads — 
Ornamenting  Wipe  Joints .  S4 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

Soldering  with  Electrically  Heated  Tools. 

Electric  Soldering— Electric  Method  of  Heating  a  Soldering 
Tool — Electric  Soldering  Tool— One  Cause  of  Trouble 
in  Electric  Soldering  Tools — Current  for  Electric 
Soldering  Tools — Resistance  in  Series — Resistance  for 
Low  Voltage  Soldering  Tools — Time  Required  for  Heat¬ 
ing  Electric  Tools — Trouble  in  Winding — The  Common 
Form  of  Electric  Soldering  Tool — Connections  for  the 
Electric  Soldering  Tools— Care  of  Electric  Soldering 
Tools — Speed  of  Electric  Soldering  Tools — Short  and 
Quick  Heating — Slow,  Speedy,  and  Continuous  Heating 
— Overcoming  Prejudice  against  . the  Electric  Soldering 
Tool — Delicacy  of  Electric  Soldering  Tools— Injury  to 
Electric  Soldering  Tools  by  Acid— Stands  for  Electric 
Soldering  Tools — Electric  Tools  Should  not  be  Dipped 
in  Acid— Good  Form  of  Tool  Stand— Temperature  of 
Electric  Soldering  Tools— Selection  of  Electric  Solder¬ 
ing  Tools— “G.  E.”  Electric  Soldering  Tools— 

Weight  of  “G.  E.”  Electric  Soldering  Tools— Cartridge 


CONTENTS. 


Xlll 


PAGE 

Type  of  Tool  Heaters— Calorite  Standard  Cartridge 
Unit — Life  of  “G.  E.”  Electric  Tools— Vulcan  Solder¬ 
ing  Tools — Care  of  Vulcan  Soldering  Tools — Unscrewing 
Soldering  Tool  Tips— Simplex  Electric  Soldering  Tools 
—Selection  and  Use  of  Soldering  Tools— Electric  Brand¬ 
ing  Appliances — Care  of  Electric  Soldering  Tools. .  106 


CHAPTER  IX. 

Brazing, 

Brazing— Various  Methods  of  Brazing— Brazing  by  Con¬ 
ducted  Heat— Brazing  by  Immersion— Brazing  by 
Electricity — Brazing  or  Hard  Soldering  Various 
Methods  of  Heating  for  Brazing— Materials  for  Brazing 
—Alloys  for  Brazing— Fluxes  for  Brazing— Applying 
Borax  and  Spelter— Wet  or  Dry  Fluxes— Tank  for 
Brazing  by  Immersion — Preparing  Work  for  Immersion 
Brazing— Pipe  Wiring  and  Blackening  for  Brazing  by 
Immersion— Scraping  and  Brightening— Rapidity  of 
Immersion  Brazing — Pipe  Brazing  Appliance — Preparing 
a  Y  Joint— Brazing  Pots  and  Kettles— Brazing  a  Plate 
—Lap  Brazing  Plates— Brazing  Valve  Stems— Good  and 
Bad  Brazing — Brazing  Ferrules — Heating  a  Ferrule 
Braze— Cleaning  a  Brazed  Joint— Dropping  Brazed 
Articles  into  Water — Brazing  a  Band  Saw — A  Slovenly 
Job  of  Saw  Brazing— Methods  of  Holding  and  Brazing 
Band  Saws— Band  Saw  Brazing  Clamp— Brazing 
Tongs— Cooling  Tongs . 


123 


SOLDERING  AND  BRAZING. 


CHAPTER  I. 

SOLDERING  TOOLS. 

Introductory  and  Explanatory. 

Soldering  is  a  very  peculiar,  although  very  common, 
operation,  whereby  two  metals,  either  similar  or  dissimilar, 
are  united  by  a  third  metal  by  means  of  heat.  Soldering, 
to  quote  from  an  ancient  dictionary  by  Webster,  is  to 
unite  with  metallic  cement.  A  more  modern  issue  of  Web¬ 
ster’s  dictionary  says  it  is  to  unite  metal  surfaces  or  edges 
with  solder.  The  old  dictionary  says  that  solder  is  a 
metallic  cement.  The  newer  dictionary  says  solder  is  a 
metallic  alloy  for  uniting  metal  surfaces.  The  same  dic¬ 
tionary  says  that  the  word  solder  or  soldering  is  derived 
from  the  Latin,  solidare,  to  make  solid.  The  dearth  of 
information  given  in  these  dictionaries  is  remarkable  and 
is  only  equalled  by  the  definition  of  brazing,  which  is 
given  'in  Webster  of  1877,  viz.,  to  cover  with  brass.  _  The 
dictionary  man  has  evidently  progressed  somewhat  m  his 
technical  education,  for  the  1900  dictionary  says,  Brazing, 
to  solder  with  hard  solder,  especially  with  the  alloy  of  copper 

and  zinc.” 

Definition  of  Soldering. 

In  reality,  soldering  is  the  joining  of  similar  or  dis¬ 
similar  metals  by  means  of  an  alloy  which  has  a  lower 
melting  point,  though  this  is  not  always  the  case.  Ac¬ 
cording  to  modern  practice,  soldering  means  the  uniting 


2 


SOLDERING  AND  BRAZING. 


of  two  or  more  pieces  of  metal  with  an  alloy  of  lead  and 
tin.  The  usually  accepted  theory  of  soft  soldering  is  that  the 
molten  soft  metals,  when  under  certain  well  known  con¬ 
ditions,  adhere  to  and  unite  with  the  metals  being  soldered, 
at  a  temperature  less  than  the  melting  point  of  the  metals 
in  question,  but  greater  than  the  melting  point  of  the 
solder  or  uniting  alloy. 

Burning  or  Autogenous  Soldering. 

There  is  a  method  of  soldering  which  is  used  exten¬ 
sively  when  tanks  are  lined  with  sheet  lead,  which  is 
known  to  the  trade  as  “  lead  burning,”  but  this  operation 
should  not  be  confused  with  soldering.  Lead  burning  is 
really  a  form  of  welding  and  a  newly  developed  system 
of  autogenous  welding,  which  is  coming  into  quite  gen¬ 
eral  use.  It  is  nothing  more  nor  less  than  a  “  burning 
operation,”  almost  exactly  like  lead  burning. 

It  is  possible  to  unite  tin  and  similar  metals  with  low 
melting  points,  by  melting  their  edges  or  surfaces  together, 
but  this  is  not  truly  soldering.  In  lead  burning,  the  two  sur¬ 
faces  are  united  by  means  of  a  strip  of  similar  metal, 
which  is  used  as  solder  and  is  melted  into  and  with  the 
metals  to  be  joined.  Thus  in  lead  burning,  the  surfaces  of 
the  metals  to  be  joined  are  actually  melted,  while  in  true 
soldering,  the  surfaces  are  not  melted  but  are  heated  to  a 
degree  much  less  than  their  melting  points  and  only  a  little 
hotter  than  the  melting  point  of  the  alloy,  which  is  used 
as  solder. 

Solders  Commonly  Used. 

The  alloys  most  commonly  used  in  soft  solder  have  a 
wide  range  in  their  melting  points.  Some  of  the  solders, 
notably  those  made  chietly  of  tin  and  lead,  melt  at  a  tem¬ 
perature  as  high  as  500  to  600  degrees,  while  ordinary  soft 
solder  melts  at  300  to  500  degrees.  Solders  may  readily 
be  made  which  will  melt  at  any  temperature  down  to  120 


SOLDERING  TOOLS. 


3 


degrees  or  much  less  than  the  temperature  of  boiling 
water.  Such  solders  are  of  little  use  commercially,  being 
used  mostly  for  exhibition  purposes,  for  tricks  and  amuse¬ 
ment.  There  is  a  notable  exception  in  the  automatic 
sprinkler  head,  which  is  closed  by  a  drop  of  solder,  which 
melts  at  a  very  low  temperature  and  which,  when  melted, 
permits  water  to  escape  from  the  sprinkler  and  extinguish 
the  fire  which  caused  the  rise  in  temperature  to  the  degree 
which  melted  the  solder. 

Fusible  Plugs  foi  Steam  Boilers. 

Another  use  for  low  temperature  solder  or  alloy  is  for 
filling  fusible  plugs,  one  of  which  is  required  by  law  in 
certain  States  to  be  placed  in  each  steam  boiler  or  gen¬ 
erator.  It  is  found,  however,  that  although  such  a  plug 
may  be  made  to  melt  at  any  required  temperature,  that  it 
will  not  melt  at  that  degree  of  heat  after  it  has  remained 
in  use  for  a  considerable  time.  Being  continually  subjected 
to  heat  and  pressure  seems  to  change  the  character  of  the 
alloy  so  that  the  melting  point  continually  grows  higher; 
after  plugs  have  been  in  use  for  a  year  or  two  they  will 
not  melt  at  the  temperature  of  steam. 

To  obviate  this  difficulty,  steam  boiler  specifications  cab 
for  plugs  filled  with  blue  Banca  tin,  a  metal,  the  melting 
point  of  which  is  not  affected  by  continued  heat.  Still 
another  application  of  low  temperature  alloys  or  solders  L 
the  uniting  or  mending  of  utensils  made  from  block  tin 
or  of  Britannia  ware.  Some  very  soft  solders  are  made 
from  the  alloy  of  bismuth,  still  others  contain  mercury 
and  by  the  use  of  this  metal,  solders  may  be  made  which 
will  melt  at  any  required  temperature  above  40  degrees 
Fahrenheit  and  below  zero.  It  will  thus  be  seen  that  the 
temperature  range  of  solders  is  unlimited. 

A  very  pretty  operation  is  the  making  of  a  low  tempera¬ 
ture  solder  which  will  melt  by  the  warmth  of  the  hand  and 
which  will  harden  again  at  the  ordinary  air  temperature 


4 


SOLDERING  AND  BRAZING. 


of  70  degrees.  Such  solders  are  of  very  little  commercial 
use  save  for  making  models  and  illustrating  methods  of 
doing  work  in  the  shop  or  in  the  school. 

The  following  table  gives  the  composition  and  melting 
points  of  various  alloys,  which  may  be  of  use  in  soldering. 
From  this  table  the  workman  may  take  out  a  formula  for 
making  a  solder,  which  will  fill  any  condition  likely  to 
arise  in  the  most  extensive  practice. 


Alloys  and  Their  Melting  Points. 

No. 

Bismuth. 

Lead. 

Tin. 

Cadmium.  Mercury.  Melting 

point. 

1 

2 

1 

1 

10  113 

2 

4 

2 

1 

1 

149 

3 

7 

3 

3 

2 

160 

4 

4 

2 

1 

1 

165 

5 

2 

1 

1 

200 

6 

4 

1 

1 

201 

7 

IO 

1 

1 

201 

8 

5 

3 

202 

9 

8 

5 

3 

202 

10 

12 

7 

6 

203 

11 

8 

3 

5 

208 

12 

5 

1 

3 

212 

13 

5 

3 

2 

212 

14 

5 

1 

4 

240 

15 

1 

1 

257 

16 

1 

1 

286 

17 

1 

3 

334 

iS 

2 

3 

334 

19 

1 

2 

336 

20 

1 

2 

360 

21 

1 

3 

392 

22 

1 

8 

392 

23 

1 

1 

466 

24 

2 

1 

475 

25 

*7 

/ 

3 

3 

2 

Very  low. 

SOLDERING  TOOLS. 


5 


Silver  Soldering. 

Silver  soldering  is  really  a  form  of  brazing.  Silver 
solder  is  usually  known  as  hard  solder,  and  is  thus  distin¬ 
guished  from  soldering  with  the  copper  and  alloy  of  lead 
and  tin.  Silver  soldering  is  usually  performed  with  the 
blow  pipe,  the  articles  to  be  soldered  being  wired  together 
or  otherwise  held  securely  in  place  during  the  fluxing  and 
heating  operation.  The  best  work  in  silver  or  hard  sol¬ 
dering  is  secured  when  the  parts  are  fitted  together  as 
closely  as  possible;  the  better  the  fit,  the  better  will  be  the 
soldering. 

A  joint  may  be  made  perfectly  by  drilling  a  hole  through 
both  pieces  of  metal  and  joining  them  by  means  of  a 
rivet,  which  may  even  be  countersunk,  and  riveted  at  each 
end.  *  If  such  a  joint  be  subjected  to  hard  soldering  or 
brazing,  the  silver  or  brass  will,  if  the  soldering  be  prop¬ 
erly  done,  find  its  w7ay  along  the  rivet,  through  the  drilled 
hole,  and  show  itself  at  the  opposite  end  of  the  rivet,  no 
matter  how  tightly  it  may  fit.  The  operation  of  silver  sol¬ 
dering  will  be  described  in  detail  in  another  chapter. 


Fluxes  and  Fluxing. 

A  great  variety  of  fluxes  may  be  used  in  soft  solder¬ 
ing,  in  hard  soldering  and  in  brazing.  Fluxes  are  used  in 
soldering  to  prevent  oxidization  of  the  heated  surfaces, 
both  of  metals  to  be  united  and  of  the  uniting  alloys,  also 
to  render  the  solder  more  fluid  and  thereby  to  penetiatc 
better  into  the  interstices  between  the  parts  to  be  soldered. 
Taking  this  view  of  the  matter,  it  will  be  seen  that  almost 
any  substance  will  serve  as  a  flux  wrhich  will  melt  and  coat 
itself  over  the  heated  surfaces  without  being  disturbed  by 
the  heat. 

Common  resin  is  the  flux  universally  adopted  for  tin  and 
brass — in  fact,  for  soft  soldering  in  general,  for  the  reason 


6 


SOLDERING  AND  BRAZING. 


that  it  will  withstand  a  temperature  which  enables  it  to 
melt  and  spread  over  the  surface  of  lead  and  tin  without 
being  driven  off  in  a  gaseous  condition.  lor  soldering 
lead,  particularly  when  joints  are  to  be  wiped,  the  plumber 
uses  tallow,  which  seems  to  be  the  best  flux  for  this  metal. 
Resin  may  be  and  is  used  when  soldering  lead  with  the 
copper,  but  tallow  works  well  and  is  handy  when  resin  is 
not  obtainable.  In  fact,  cylinder  oil,  or  any  heavy  grease, 
may  be  used,  which  will  protect  the  surface  of  the  metal 
from  attack  by  oxygen  of  the  air. 

Lead  and  Tin  Oxidization. 

When  metals  are  heated  they  are  very  readily  attacked 
by  oxygen.  The  dross  which  gathers  in  the  molten  metal 
in  the  ladle  is  an  example.  The  dross  is  nothing  more  or 
less  than  oxide  of  lead  caused  by  the  union  of  metallic  lead 
from  the  ladle  with  oxygen  from  the  air.  When  lead  or 
tin  are  in  the  solid  form  they  are  less  readily  attacked  by 
the  atmosphere.  A  very  thin  film  of  oxide  forms  almost 
instantly  over  a  freshly  cut  surface  of  lead  or  tin,  but  this 
thin  layer  seems  to  protect  the  metal  against  further  oxi¬ 
dization  at  ordinary  temperature.  It  is  for  this  reason  that 
tin  and  lead  seem  to  be  free  from  rust,  while  they  are 
actually  covered  with  a  very  thin  layer  of  rust  or  oxide, 
which  effectually  prevents  further  action  of  the  elements. 

A  proof  of  oxidization  is  found  in  the  odor  which  con¬ 
stantly  arises  from  a  piece  of  new  tin.  By  pouring  some 
water  on  a  sheet  of  tin  or  into  a  new  tin  dipper,  and  hold¬ 
ing  it  to  the  nostrils,  one  will  readily  detect  the  peculiar 
odor  of  tin,  which  shows  that  a  coating  of  oxide  has  been 
formed  over  its  surface  by  the  union  between  metallic  tin 
and  oxygen. 


SOLDERING  TOOLS. 


7 


Borax  a  Universal  Flux  for  Hard  Soldering. 

Borax  may  be  used  as  a  flux  and  for  brazing  and  hard 
soldering.  Borax  or  boracic  acid  are  the  agents  univer¬ 
sally  employed  for  that  purpose.  Resin  will  not  stand  for 
brazing,  because  of  the  high  temperature  necessary,  which 
drives  all  the  resin  into  gaseous  form  and  it  becomes  dis¬ 
persed  or  lost  before  the  brazing  operation  can  be  per¬ 
formed.  Borax  will  melt  over  the  surface  and  form  a 
coating  of  glass,  so  to  speak,  which  remains  until  the 
brazing  operation  has  been  completed. 

Borax  is  also  the  proper  flux  for  welding  operations. 
Silica  is  used  to  a  great  extent  in  rough  welding  jobs,  and 
for  this  reason  a  smith  covers  pieces  of  iron  to  be  welded 
with  fine  white  sand,  which  is  nearly  pure  silica.  It  may 
not  be  known  to  all  solder  users  that  steel  may  be  welded 
when  lime  is  used  for  flux,  nearly,  if  not  quite  as  well,  as 
when  borax  is  used.  In  fact,  limestone  is  the  natural  flux 
for  steel. 

Selecting  a  Flux. 

The  tinner  or  the  plumber  may  make  use  of  his  knowl¬ 
edge  of  fluxes  by  being  able  to  substitute  one  for  another 
when  he  cannot  obtain  the  particular  flux  commonly  used 
for  a  certain  kind  of  work.  Thus  if  he  is  using  solder 
which  melts  very  hard  and  requires  a  high  degree  of  heat 
in  the  soldering  tool,  he  can  mix  some  powdered  borax 
with  the  resin  and  thereby  obtain  a  flux  which  will  prevent 
soldering  coppers  from  burning,  even  when  heated  nearly 
red  hot.  He  may  also  be  able,  when  it  is  necessary  to 
carry  the  pot  of  hot  metal  a  long  distance,  to  cover  the 
surfaces  of  the  metal  with  borax  and  charcoal  or  borax 
and  lime,  under  which,  though  the  metal  be  heat'ed  red  hot, 
hardly  a  particle  will  be  lost  in  dross  or  oxide  duiing  the 
journey  from  point  of  melting  to  point  of  using. 


s 


SOLDERING  AND  BRAZING. 


Reducing  Oxides. 

By  incorporating  certain  chemicals  with  the  flux,  the 
oxide  or  dross  arising  from  any  metal  may  be  changed 
back  again  into  solid  metal.  This  is  called  reduction  of 
oxide,  and  is  the  same  process,  or  is  carried  out  in  the 
same  manner,  that  is  followed  when  the  ores  of  lead,  tin, 
etc.,  are  smelted  to  obtain  from  them  the  metal.  If  the 
fluxes  be  made  of  charcoal,  common  salt  and  soda,  the 
dross  will  be  reduced,  as  the  chemist  calls  it,  to  the  metallic 
state  again. 

The  tinsmith  and  plumber  should  not  permit  dross  to 
form  when  heating  soft  metal,  and  if  any  does  form,  either 
through  poor  management  or  through  ignorance  on  the 
part  of  the  workman,  the  dross  or  oxide  should  be  care¬ 
fully  saved,  and  when  a  sufficient  amount  has  accumulated, 
enough  to  fill  a  ladle,  it  may  be  packed  in  the  ladle  in 
layers  alternated  with  layers  of  charcoal  flux.  If  the 
ladle  be  now  heated  to  a  proper  temperature  and  the  heat 
maintained  for  a  few  hours,  the  dross  will  be  found  to 
have  disappeared  and  in  its  place  will  be  a  quantity  of 
bright  new  metal. 

Soldering  Tools,  Appliances  and  Methods. 

The  most  common  of  all  soldering  appliances  is,  beyond 
doubt,  the  time  honored  and  much  abused  soldering  cop¬ 
per,  “  the  soldering  iron  ”  as  it  is  usually  called.  It  must  be 
stated,  however,  that  the  modern  tinner  and  plumber  is 
more  apt  to  say  “  copper  than  to  tell  about  the  iron. 

The  soldering  copper  is  so  common  and  so  well  known 
that  at  first  sight  it  would  seem  superfluous  to  give  a 
description  of  that  important  tool,  but  notwithstanding  this 
there  are  many  working  tinsmiths  who  cannot,  under  an> 
circumstances,  name  the  different  sizes  and  shapes  of  cop- 


SOLDERING  TOOLS. 


9 


pers  in  use  in  up  to  date  shops.  On  the  other  hand,  it  is 
quite  likely  that  the  tinner  would  describe  his  soldering  tool 
as  a  “  chunk  of  copper  with  a  handle  stuck  in  the  end  of 
it,”  and  it  must  be  confessed  that  this  description  fits  very 
closely  to  many  of  the  coppers  found  in  some  shops. 


Common  Forms  of  Soldering  Coppers. 

Two  types  of  tools  for  soldering  are  shown  by  Figs,  i 
and  2,  the  former  representing  the  usual  straight  bit,  the 
uses  of  which  are  almost  universal.  Fig.  2  shows  the 
modern  form  of  hatchet  bit  which  is  also  a  tool  largely 
used.  In  fact,  there  are  few  soldering  jobs  which  cannot 
be  performed  with  the  aid  of  these  two  standard  coppers. 


Fig.  1. — Straight  Copper. 


Fig.  2  shows  a  good  form  of  hatchet  copper,  the  head  of 
which  is  swivelled  and  may  be  moved  m  any  direction  to 
make  it  do  the  work  in  hand.  The  straight  copper  shown 
bv  Fig.  1  is  held  to  the  handle  by  the  clamping  device 
shown,  viz.,  a  couple  of  holes  drilled  in  the  bit  and  the 
split  ends  of  the  handle  inserted  therein.  Channels  on 
either  side  of  the  bit  between  each  hole  and  the  end  ot 
the  copper  are  made  to  receive  the  handle  as  shown,  in 
the  illustration,  the  handle  is  welded  at  A,  but  many 
handles  are  made  of  a  single  piece  of  round  iron,  bent 
back  on  itself  and  the  ends  twisted  together  before  being 
driven  into  the  holes  in  the  copper,  as  shown  at  B  and  . 

Personally  the  writer  does  not  like  this  kind  of  handle, 
it  is  very  apt  to  get  loose  in  the  bit  and  rattle  about  at 


10 


SOLDERING  AND  BRAZING. 


B  and  C,  allowing  considerable  play  to  the  end  of  copper 
D.  The  writer  prefers  the  form  of  handle  shown  with 
the  hatchet  tool,  Fig.  2,  the  handle  of  which  is  welded 
together  at  E,  in  a  manner  similar  to  that  shown  at  A. 
Fig.  1.  The  metal  handle  is  then  made  of  the  required 
length  and  a  wooden  shell  F,  Fig.  2,  is  applied  as  shown. 
The  washer  G  is  brazed  or  soldered  securely  to  the  metal 
handle  and  the  wooden  shell  has  a  hole  bored  through  its 
entire  length  to  receive  the  metal  handle  G.  The  extreme 


Fig.  2. — Hatchet  Copper. 


end  of  this  handle  is  threaded  to  fit  nut  H  and  carries 
another  washer,  which,  when  screwed  down  against  the 
end  of  shell  F,  holds  it  securely  under  almost  all  condi¬ 
tions  of  use. 

Coppers  with  Wooden  Handles. 

In  some  coppers  the  wooden  handle  is  replaced  by  a 
piece  of  steam  pipe;  a  piece  of  brass  pipe  2  an  inch  in 
diameter  makes  a  fine  looking  handle  when  titted  with 
a  couple  of  soldered-in  ends,  but  both  the  brass  and  iron 
pipe  conduct  heat  very  rapidly  and  are  apt  to  become  much 
hotter  than  plain  wooden  handles.  Fancy  handles  are 
sometimes  made  of  leather  or  rawhide  washers  cut  out, 
placed  upon  the  handle  and  the  nut  H  screwed  down  when 
the  washers  are  filed  to  a  shape  which  fits  the  hand. 


SOLDERING  TOOLS. 


11 


When  a  hatchet  copper  gets  loose  in  the  swivel  it  may 
be  tightened  by  screwing  the  lower  portion  of  the  bit  in  a 
vise  and  riveting  down  the  upper  portion  until  it  pinches 
the  handle  E,  as  tightly  as  necessary. 


A  Household  Soldering  Copper. 

Neither  the  hatchet  copper  nor  the  straight  copper  should 
ever  be  permitted  to  become  rounded  at  the  point.  A  tool 
resembling  Fig.  3  is  very  often  to  be  found  in  tin  shops, 
and  such  a  tool  should  never  be  permitted  under  any  con¬ 
ditions  whatever.  Its  presence  in  the  shop  is  evidence 
that  some  one  of  the  men  is  not  attending  to  business 


Fig.  3. — Household  Soldering  Copper. 

properly.  While  soldering  may  be  done,  after  a  fashion, 
with  such  a  tool,  it  is  best  to  do  work  in  a  commercially 
profitable  way. 

The  only  place  where  a  bit  of  this  kind  should  be  found 
is  in  the  homes  of  your  customers.  This  bit  may  well 
be  called  the  household  soldering  copper,  and  when  a  man 
who  is  possessed  of  such  a  copper  thinks  of  doing  his  own 
tin  mending,  he  is  pretty  apt,  after  one  or  two  trials,  to 
bundle  up  his  work  and  bring  it  to  the  shop.  Whenever 
a  copper  shows  any  tendency  to  approach  Fig.  3,  in  condi¬ 
tion  and  appearance,  just  bundle  that  copper  over  to  the 
blacksmith  and  have  it  put  in  shape  again. 


12 


SOLDERING  AND  BRAZING. 


Forging  Coppers  to  Shape. 

Coppers  may  be  kept  in  shape  by  forging.  All  smiths 
may  not  be  aware  of  the  fact  that  copper  can  be  forged  on 
the  anvil  as  readily  as  iron  or  soft  steel.  One  can  forge 
coppers,  however,  if  a  piece  of  heavy  iron  is  at  hand  to 
work  them  on.  Just  heat  to  a  bright  red,  then  draw 
them  out  with  a  round  faced  hammer.  There  will  be  no 
danger  of  spoiling  the  point  of  a  copper  during  the  draw¬ 
ing-out  process  if  it  is  hammered  on  all  four  sides  equally. 
Don’t  try  to  do  all  the  hammering  necessary  on  one  side 
at  one  time,  but  divide  up  the  blows,  turning  the  bit  back 
and  forth  so  that  only  a  few  blows  are  struck  on  any  side 
at  one  time.  Never  try  to  draw  out  a  round  copper  with¬ 
out  first  squaring  the  end  thereof.  If  a  round  copper  is 
hammered  from  all  sides  the  metal  will  surely  split  in  the 
middle  or  crack  into  several  pieces.  First  hammer  the 
round  bit  into  square  form  and  in  that  shape  draw  it  down 
to  the  required  dimensions;  then,  if  a  round  section  of  bit 
is  required,  make  it  round  by  lightly  hammering  after  it 
has  been  drawn  down  into  the  square  form. 

Some  tinners,  when  they  find  a  bit  approaching  the  form 
shown  in  Fig.  3,  proceed  to  file  off  a  lot  of  metal  and 
bring  it  to  shape  in  that  way.  This  is  a  waste  of  copper 
pure  and  simple,  and  it  should  never  be  done.  Simply 
heat  the  coppers  to  a  red  heat  and  draw  them  out  on  the 
anvil  to  the  correct  form,  as  described  above. 

Special  Forms  of  Soldering  Coppers. 

It  would  require  too  much  space  to  describe  all  the  spe¬ 
cial  forms  of  coppers  that  are  to  be  found  in  general  use. 
It  must  suffice  to  state  that  coppers  may  be  procured  of 
any  required  shape.  The  dealer  carries  many  stock  sizes 
and  shapes  and  the  brass  foundry  will  give  you  special 


SOLDERING  TOOLS. 


13 


coppers  at  any  time,  provided  a  wooden  pattern  is  fur¬ 
nished  of  the  desired  shape.  Just  whittle  out  a  bit  of 
soft  wood  to  the  size  and  shape  of  the  required  bit,  hand 
this  pattern  to  the  brass  foundryman,  and  he  will  sup¬ 
ply  a  bit,  true  to  the  pattern,  which  may  be  fitted 
with  any  desired  form  of  handle.  Such  special  coppers 
may  well  be  fitted  with  a  cast-in  handle.  Just  a  plain 
piece  of  |  inch  or  %  inch  rod  is  all  that  is  required. 
Hammer  one  end  a  trifle  to  enlarge  it  so  that  it  will  not 
pull  out  of  the  copper  bit  should  it  become  loose  therein. 
Pass  this  handle  along  to  the  brass  foundryman  with  the 
wooden  pattern;  he  will  place  the  handle  in  the  mold,  pour 
the  copper  around  same,  and  in  a  short  time  he  will  hand 
you  the  complete  tool  ready  to  be  tinned  and  put  to  im¬ 
mediate  use. 


Shape  and  Size  of  Coppers. 

Do  not  hesitate  about  providing  plenty  of  soldering  cop¬ 
pers  of  varying  sizes  and  shapes;  it  does  not  pay  to  use  a 
little  picked  copper  for  soldering  a  long,  heavy  seam.  A 
heavy  hatchet  tool  is  the  better  one  for  that  purpose,  but 
if  a  man  wishes  to  solder  up  a  pinhole  in  a  tin  pail,  he 
has  no  use  for  a  3  pound  hatchet  tool,  but  should  use  the 
smallest  copper  available.  Don’t  hesitate  to  purchase  new 
tools  of  special  shapes;  it  is  much  better  to  do  so  than  to 
change  over  existing  shapes,  which  are  sure  to  be  needed 
sooner  or  later  in  their  original  forms. 

A  Wire  Soldering  Copper. 

For  some  kinds  of  very  light  soldering,  a  piece  of  cop¬ 
per  wire  is  all  that  is  necessary.  A  No.  16  copper  wire, 
with  a  ring  turned  in  one  end  for  a  handle,  makes  a  most 
convenient  tool  to  use  when  soldering  with  the  blowr  torch 


14 


SOLDERING  AND  BRAZING. 


or  blow  pipe.  One  of  the  handiest  tools  the  writer  ever 
used  is  shown  by  Fig.  4.  It  is  nothing  more  or  less  than 
a  piece  of  |  inch  copper  wire,  the  same  as  is  used  as  a 
feed  wire  by  trolley  lines.  An  eye  is  turned  in  one  end  for  a 
handle;  the  other  end  is  flattened  on  one  side  and  filed  to 
a  double  angle  on  the  other  side  as  shown.  This  is  one  of 
the  handiest  tools  imaginable  for  working  into  small  cor¬ 
ners  and  is  used  in  connection  with  a  blow  torch. 

In  model  work,  particularly  where  all  sorts  of  pieces 
have  to  be  soldered  together,  this  tool  is  very  convenient 
indeed.  It  is  only  necessary  to  place  and  hold  the  articles 


Fig.  4. — Handy  Soldering  Tool. 


n  question,  blow  them  a  few  seconds  with  the  gasoline 
torch,  then  work  the  solder  into  place  by  means  of  the 
tool  illustrated  by  Fig.  4.  Several  of  these  little  tools 
will  be  found  advantageous.  The  writer  uses  one  occa¬ 
sionally  which  is  only  1-16  inch  in  diameter. 

A  great  improvement  in  tools  of  this  kind  is  to  braze  a 
short  section  of  copper  to  an  iron  rod  of  smaller  diame¬ 
ter,  which  will  serve  as  a  handle.  Iron  does  not  conduct 
heat  as  readily  as  copper,  and  by  making  the  handle  smaller 
than  the  tool  the  metal  has  less  conducting  capacity  and  the 
copper  stays  hot  much  longer  than  when  the  handle  is 
of  solid  copper  and  of  the  same  size  as  the  tool. 


CHAPTER  II. 


TINNING  SOLDERING  COPPERS. 

Even  the  apprentice  quickly  realizes  that  a  soldering 
tool  is  of  little  value  unless  it  is  well  tinned.  Soldering 
can  be  done  with  untinned  or  poorly  tinned  tools,  but  it 
will  be  a  poor  job  at  best  and  a  slow,  costly  one  as  well. 
The  writer  used  to  know  one  party  who  did  all  his  own 
household  soldering,  mending  pots  and  pans  with  soft 
solder,  with  no  other  soldering  tool  at  his  command  than 
the  tongs  from  an  old-fashioned  fire  place.  These  tongs 
were  iron  and,  of  course,  were  not  tinned,  but  the  person 
in  question  used  them  so  long  and  soldered  so  much,  that 
the  disks  at  the  end  of  the  tongs  were  worn  almost  en¬ 
tirely  away.  This  person  actually  did  quite  creditable  work 
with  the  old  tongs  and  if  he  had  been  equipped  with  a 
soldering  outfit,  he  would  have  been  a  success  at  the 
business. 


Clean  Coppers  before  Tinning. 

When  coppers  are  to  be  tinned,  the  first  step  is  to  re¬ 
move  the  coating  of  oxide  which  always  covers  a  copper. 
It  is  utterly  impossible  to  make  solder  adhere  to  a  copper 
or  any  other  surface  which  is  covered  with  dirt  or  oxide, 
hence  before  a  copper  can  be  tinned  it  must  be  made  abso¬ 
lutely  clean.  Being  clean,  in  the  sense  used  by  tinners, 
means  free  from  all  oxide  of  its  own  and  of  other  metals. 
It  makes  no  difference  how  much  grease  or  gum  or 
resinous  substance  there  may  be  on  the  surface  as  long  as 

15 


16 


SOLDERING  AND  BRAZING. 


it  is  free  from  a  film  of  dross  or  oxide.  As  stated  else¬ 
where,  oxide  is  the  technical  name  for  dross  which  is 
formed  by  the  oxygen  of  the  air  attacking  any  metal,  cop¬ 
per,  lead  and  tin  in  particular. 

Protect  Bits  from  Air. 

In  order  to  obtain  a  clean  copper  surface,  it  is  absolutely 
necessary  that  air  be  prevented  from  coming  in  contact 
with  the  copper  after  it  has  been  cleaned.  No  matter  how 
well  the  surface  of  a  copper  bit  may  be  filed  or  ground,  it 
requires  less  than  one  second's  exposure  of  the  heated  cop¬ 
per  to  the  atmosphere  to  form  a  film  of  oxide  over  the 
surface  of  the  metal  and  then  the  tinning  possibilities  are 
over,  for  copper  in  that  condition  cannot  be  tinned,  try  as 
hard  as  one  may. 

The  Tinning  Problem. 

The  tinning  problem  thus  resolves  itself  into  three  parts. 
First,  the  cleaning  of  the  copper.  Make  it  bright  and  free 
from  all  metallic  oxides.  The  second  step  is  to  keep  the 
copper  in  that  condition  until  the  third  operation  can  be 
completed,  which  is  the  covering  of  the  bright  surface  with 
a  film  of  lead  and  tin  alloy. 

The  first  operation  we  have  described;  it  is  done  by 
filing,  sand  papering  or  scraping  the  surface  of  the  copper 
until  it  is  clean  and  bright.  The  second  operation,  that  of 
keeping  the  copper  clean  until  it  can  be  tinned,  can  be 
effected  in  two  ways.  First,  by  means  of  a  flux,  second,  by 
means  of  an  acid.  Resin  is  the  flux  usually  employed  for 
this  purpose  and  its  office  is  to  spread  itself  over  the  sur¬ 
face  of  the  hot  copper  in  such  a  manner  that  no  air  can 
reach  the  bright  portion. 


TINNING  SOLDERING  COPPERS. 


17 


Acid  Method  of  Cleaning  Coppers. 

The  second  way,  the  acid  method,  is  effected  by  dipping 
the  copper  into  a  solution  of  muriate  of  zinc.  The  acid 
attacks  the  surface  of  the  copper,  removes  the  oxide  there¬ 
from  and  replaces  it  with  a  thin  film  of  zinc,  to  which  the 
solder  will  join  itself  if  applied  immediately.  The  zinc 
does  not  seem  to  oxidize  as  quickly  as  the  copper,  but  if 
that  copper  be  allowed  to  remain  any  appreciable  length  of 
time  after  dipping  in  the  acid,  before  the  solder  is  applied, 
then  the  alloy  will  not  spread  well  over  the  surface  and 
the  tinning  operation  will  be  a  failure  until  the  not  copper 
has  again  been  dipped  in  acid.  For  tin  work,  brass  solder¬ 
ing,  uniting  lead  surfaces  and  similar  work,  the  resin 
method  is  preferable.  The  copper  may  be  filed  to  a  bright 
surface,  rubbed  with  a  piece  of  resin  and  then  tinned  by 
rubbing  a  stick  of  solder  over  the  prepared  surface. 


Tinning  Coppers  with  a  File. 

The  critical  point  is  the  applying  of  the  resin  to  the 
bright  surface  before  the  latter  is  exposed  to  the  air  after 
cleaning.  To  accomplish  this  some  tinners  rub  the  copper 
smartly  on  the  floor  over  which  a  little  sand  has  been 
spread,  then  apply  the  resin  to  the  solder.  Tinning  ma\ 
also  be  done  by  placing  the  hot  copper  with  one  of  its 
surfaces  nearly  level,  then  placing  a  bit  of  resin  on  the 
surface  which  is  then  scraped  with  an  old  file.  This  re¬ 
moves  the  oxide  and  brightens  the  surface,  which  is  im¬ 
mediately  covered  by  the  resin,  thereby  preventing  access 
of  air  and  the  consequent  formation  of  a  dross  film. 

This  operation  is  showm  in  Fig.  5,  in  which  a  little  pool 
of  melted  resin  is  shown  on  the  surface  of  the  copper  at  A. 
A  little  globule  of  solder  is  shown  at  B,  which  was  melted 


18 


SOLDERING  AND  BRAZING. 


from  the  stick  by  the  heat  of  the  copper.  As  far  as  this 
copper  is  kept  bright  with  the  file,  the  resin  will  flow  over 
it  and  when  the  file  reaches  the  globule  of  solder,  that 
alloy  will  also  spread  over  the  copper  underneath  the  resin. 
By  working  in  this  manner  over  each  portion  of  the  copper 


Fig.  5. — Tinning  with  a  File. 


the  tinning  operation  may  be  completed  in  less  time  than  it 
takes  to  tell  it. 

Tinning  Two  Coppers  at  Once. 

Some  people  prefer  tinning  two  coppers  at  once,  as  shown 
by  Fig.  0.  This  method  works  pretty  well,  especially  on 
coppers  which  have  been  tinned  before.  It  is  about 
like  the  file  method,  only  one  copper  is  used  to  scrape  the 
other  clean  instead  of  the  file  used  in  Fig.  5.  Some  resin 
waves  are  shown  at  C,  and  as  they  are  pushed  aside  by  the 
rubbing  operation,  it  will  be  found  that  there  is  a  coating 
of  solder  underneath  them.  Each  of  the  four  sides  of  the 
copper  must  be  subjected  successively  to  the  rubbing  opera¬ 
tion,  and  it  is  evident  that  the  two  coppers  may  be  tinned 


TINNING  SOLDERING  COPPERS. 


19 


in  this  way  during  the  time  required  to  tin  one  copper  by 
the  file  method. 


Fig.  6. — Tinning  Two  Coppcvs  at  Once. 

Tinning  Coppers  with  Salammoniac. 

A  third  method  of  tinning  is  shown  by  Fig.^  7-  This  may 
be  known  as  the  salammoniac  process.  That  substance 


Fig-  7- — Tinning  with  Salammoniac. 


(muriate  of  ammonia)  comes  in  large  and  small  crystals 
or  chunks,  and  is  well  known  to  the  tinner  and  plumber 
as  being  particularly  useful  when  copper  surfaces  are 
to  be  tinned.  A  chunk  of  salammoniac  is  kept  upon 


20 


SOLDERING  AND  BRAZING. 


the  bench.  With  the  stick  of  solder  in  the  workman’s 
left  hand,  the  right  hand  moves  the  copper  back  and 
forth  upon  the  salammoniac  with  a  scraping  motion. 
The  mechanical  action  of  the  motion,  together  with  the 
chemical  action  of  the  salammoniac  penetrates  and  re¬ 
moves  the  film  of  oxide  on  the  copper  and  soon  brightens 
its  surface.  Occasional  contact  with  the  stick  of  solder, 

D,  causes  some  of  that  substance  to  adhere  to  the  bright 
copper,  while  some  of  it  is  deposited  on  the  salammoniac, 

E,  and  thence  is  rubbed  over  the  surface  of  the  cop¬ 
per,  resulting  in  quickly  giving  that  tool  the  requisite 
coat  of  alloy.  This  method  of  tinning  is  particularly  de¬ 
sirable  when  soldering  galvanized  iron.  “  Raw  ”  acid 
(muriatic  or  hydrochloric)  is  used  for  this  purpose,  and 
frequent  renewing  of  the  tinning  on  the  copper  is  neces¬ 
sary. 


The  Brick  Method  of  Tinning  Coppers. 

For  general  use  the  writer  prefers  the  brick  method 
shown  by  Fig.  <i.  In  this  illustration  the  copper,  F,  is 
represented  as  being  moved  back  and  forth  in  the  shallow 
groove,  G  G,  which  has  been  dug  in  the  surface  of  brick, 
d.  Some  resin,  I  I,  has  been  melted  into  the  cavity, 
which  is  only  one-eighth  or  one-quarter  inch  deep.  Some  / 
colder  is  also  melted  in  with  the  resin.  A  couple  of 
globules  are  shown  at  J  J.  A  very  soft  brick  should  be 
selected  for  making  one  of  these  tinning  tools— in  fact, 
the  softer  the  brick  the  better,  and  the  more  the  brick 
crumbles  or  wears  away  as  the  copper  is  rubbed  against 
it,  the  better  and  quicker  will  the  tinning  be  accomplished. 

The  theory  of  this  method  is  that  the  hot  copper,  by 
rubbing  upon  the  brick  in  the  bath  of  melted  resin,  is 
completely  protected  from  the  air,  while  the  gritty  sub¬ 
stance  of  the  brick  quickly  polishes  the  surface  of  the  cop¬ 
per.  The  resin  protects  the  surface  as  fast  as  it  is  cleaned 


TINNING  SOLDERING  COPPERS. 


21 


and  the  solder  being  present  at  the  time  of  cleaning  and 
polishing,  immediately  adheres  to  the  copper  surface. 
In  making  up  a  new  tool  of  this  kind,  it  is  not  necessary 
to  cut  the  channel  G,  G.  It  is  better  to  drive  a  cold  chisel 
across  the  top  of  the  brick  a  few  times,  leaving  most  of 
the  brick  dust  in  the  channel.  Melt  in  a  piece  of  resin  as 
big  as  a  hen’s  egg,  put  in  a  chunk  of  solder  or  the  refuse 
drops  scraped  from  the  bench  or  floor  and  proceed  with 
the  tinning. 


Fig.  8. — Tinning  with  a  Brick. 


This  method  is  a  combination  of  about  all  the  other 
methods  shown,  except  the  salammoniac  method,  Fig.  7. 
The  writer  sometimes  finds  it  convenient  to  add  this 
method  also  to  the  brick  way  of  tinning,  by  scattering  in 
with  the  resin  a  few  fragments  of  salammoniac,  as  shown 
at  K.  Some  fragments  of  this  substance  may  be  used  on  the 
brick  to  advantage,  and,  if  desired,  some  powdered  sal- 
ammoniac  may  be  mixed  with  the  resin,  with  most  satis¬ 
factory  results. 

This  method  is  the  quickest  way  of  all  for  tinning  cop¬ 
pers.  When  the  writer  is  doing  soldering  of  almost  any 
description,  in  which  a  copper  is  used,  he  likes  to  have 


22 


SOLDERING  AND  BRAZING. 


brick  II  at  hand  upon  the  bench.  Whenever  the  copper, 
upon  being  removed  from  the  fire,  shows  a  few  spots 
where  the  tinning  is  thin  or  defective,  a  rub  or  two  on  the 
brick  will  restore  the  copper  to  a  perfectly  tinned  condi¬ 
tion.  When  tinning  small  objects,  such  as  pieces  of  vire, 
little  clips  or  bits  of  steel  or  iron,  the  brick  is  also  useful. 
Dipping  first  into  acid  and  then  into  resin  will,  with  one 
or  two  rubs  with  the  copper  F,  put  an  immediate  and  per¬ 
fect  coat  of  solder  upon  the  articles  to  be  tinned. 


The  Simple  Soldering  Tools. 

The  coppers  and  tinning  apparatus  above  described  are 
those  which  can  be  used  in  most  soldering  jobs  where 
labor  saving  conveniences  are  not  to  be  had.  1  he  electrical 
soldering  copper  is  a  tool  which  will  be  described  later, 
but  it  is  not  usually  found  in  the  outfit  of  the  ordinary 
shop.  The  coppers  and  tinning  conveniences  noted  above, 
with  the  addition  of  a  few  scrapers  and  a  pair  of  tinner’s 
shears,  a  hammer,  mallet  and  a  file  or  two  and  perhaps  a 
pair  of  compasses,  make  up  the  list  of  economical  and  in¬ 
dispensable  tools.  • 


The  Scraper. 

A  triangular  piece  of  steel  fitted  with  a  handle  is  well 
known  in  the  tin  shop  and  its  chief  characteristic  seems  to 
be  that  of  being  as  dull  as  a  hoe.  It  is  very  seldom  that 
the  scraper  is  ground,  though  it  should  be  kept  as  sharp 
as  any  wood-working  tool.  A  soft  scraper,  one  that  can 
be  touched  up  with  a  file,  should  be  thrown  away.  When 
picking  out  a  scraper,  test  it  with  a  file  and  select  one 
which  the  file  will  not  touch.  If  by  chance  you  have  a 
soft  scraper,  heat  it  to  a  dull  red  heat,  taking  care  that  the 
heat  is  as  evenly  as  possible,  then  plunge  it  into  cold  water 


TINNING  SOLDERING  COPPERS. 


23 


and  move  it  from  side  to  side  while  cooling.  This  move¬ 
ment  is  to  dislodge  any  bubbles  of  steam  which  collect  on 
the  steel  and  prevent  the  contact  of  the  water,  thus  re¬ 
ducing  the  hardness  of  the  metal. 


Tempering  a  Scraper. 

It  may  be  necessary  after  such  a  hardening  to  tighten 
the  rivet  which  holds  the  scraper  to  its  handle  and  pos¬ 
sibly  it  may  be  necessary  to  draw  the  temper  a  little  for, 
if  made  from  high  grade  steel,  the  scraper  may  be  broken 
if  struck  with  a  hammer,  or  otherwise  misused.  To  draw 
the  temper,  pass  the  scraper  blade  back  and  forth  before 
the  blaze  of  a  gasoline  torch  or  any  kind  of  a  fire  pot. 
Watch  closely  and  when  the  faintest  tinge  of  bronze  is  seen, 
remove  from  the  heat  and  allow  the  scraper  to  cool.  Some¬ 
times  a  corner  or  an  edge  may  show  a  faint  color  before 
the  rest  of  the  scraper  begins  to  change;  in  such  a  case 
touch  a  wet  rag  to  the  place  which  shows  color.  This 
stops  the  temper  from  running  down  and  the  remaining 
portion  of  the  scraper  can  be  brought  to  the  required  soft¬ 
ness  without  the  “running  out”  of  the  temper  over  the 
portions  which  show  color  first.  Only  the  faintest  tinge 
of  bronze  or  orange  should  be  permitted,  or  the  scraper 
blade  will  become  too  soft. 

Case  Hardening  a  Scraper. 

When  a  blade  will  not  harden  by  heating  and  quenching 
in  water,  it  should  be  treated  with  yellow  prussiate  of 
potash.  Heat  the  steel  to  a  low  red  heat  and  apply  the 
potash  just  as  borax  or  resin  would  be  applied  in  the 
process  of  soldering.  After  the  potash  has  been  applied, 
maintain  the  low,  red  heat  for  ten  or  fifteen  minutes.  If 
the  potash  burns  out  on  any  portion  of  the  steel,  then  ap~ 


24  SOLDERING  AND  BRAZING. 

ply  a  little  more  of  the  chemical,  which  will  form  a  thick, 
liquid  coating  over  the  steel. 

After  the  time  mentioned  has  expired,  heat  the  steel  to  a 
good,  red  heat  and  quench  in  water,  as  before  directed.  The 
prussiate  of  potash  goes  around  the  outside  of  the  soft 
steel  and  that  portion  of  the  scraper  may  be  made  very 
hard  while  the  interior  remains  as  soft  as  ever.  The  longer 
the  steel  is  subjected  to  the  action  of  the  potash,  the  harder 
it  will  become.  If  it  is  found  not  hard  enough  after  the 
operation  has  been  completed,  the  case  hardening  may  be 
repeated  as  many  times  as  are  necessary;  but  thin  steel, 
such  as  scrapers  are  made  of,  may  be  hardened  entirely 
through  and  thus  become  very  brittle  and  will  break  easily 
unless  the  temper  be  drawn  as  directed  for  ordinary  steel. 

Old  File  Scrapers. 

Old  files  make  excellent  scrapers  for  cleaning  dirt  or 
paint  from  seams  which  are  to  be  soldered.  To  prepare 
files  for  this  work,  grind  them  as  though  they  were  chisels, 
then  use  as  a  chisel  would  be  used  when  scraping  a  seam. 
The  scraping  must  be  done  with  a  pushing  instead  of  a 
pulling  motion,  as  with  the  triangular  scraper,  which  is  in¬ 
tended  to  do  the  work  on  the  drawing  stroke. 

Heating  Soldering  Coppers. 

The  old-fashioned  charcoal  fire  has  become  almost  a 
thing  of  the  past.  Very  few  shops,  except  in  remote 
country  places,  now  use  the  charcoal  pot.  In  its  place  may 
be  found  the  gasoline  blow  torch,  and  pots  using  gasoline 
are  made  for  all  kinds  of  ordinary  work,  also  for  special 
work.  For  shop  work  the  gas  heater  has  become  almost 
the  rule.  Any  ordinary  coal  fire  pot  may  be  readily  con¬ 
verted  into  a  gasoline  heater  by  placing  inside  a  form  of 


TINNING  SOLDERING  COPPERS. 


25 


Bunsen  burner  made  specially  for  heating  coppers.  This 
burner  is  in  principle  like  all  other  burners  of  the  Bunsen 
type  and  consists  of  a  wire  gauze  hood,  through  the  meshes 
of  which  gas  and  air,  mixed  in  proper  proportions,  are 
driven. 

The  Gasoline  Blow  Torch. 

An  important  addition  to  the  heating  apparatus  for  sol¬ 
dering  purposes  is  the  gasoline  blow  torch,  consisting  of 
a  gasoline-containing  vessel  made  air  tight  and  fitted  with 
a  form  of  air  pump  whereby  a  considerable  pressure  of 
air  may  be  maintained  above  the  gasoline  while  the  device 
is  in  use.  The  gasoline,  under  pressure,  is  forced  through 
the  pipe  into  a  Bunsen  burner.  A  Bunsen  burner,  by  the 
way,  is  a  device  whereby  gas  is  driven  into  a  tube  much 
larger  than  the  gas  supply  pipe,  which  pipe  acts  as  an 
injector  to  force  the  gas  into  the  tube.  The  injector  draws 
into  the  tube  with  the  gas  a  quantity  of  air  which  mixes 
with  the  gas  before  it  reaches  the  burner  proper. 

A  wire  gauze  shield  or  a  thin  plate  perforated  with  very 
fine  holes,  prevents  fire  from  igniting  the  mixture  of  gas 
and  air  before  it  gets  to  the  burner.  It  is  a  peculiarity  of 
flame,  that  it  cannot  pass  through  very  small  tubes  or 
openings,  and  this  fact  is  taken  advantage  of  in  constructing 
the  Bunsen  burner  or  a  miner’s  safety  lamp.  By  means 
of  a  proper  mixture  of  air  with  the  gas,  the  latter  loses 
its  light-producing  quality  and  the  resulting  flame  is  blue, 
giving  intense  heat  and  but  very  little  light. 

In  using  a  Bunsen  burner  for  soldering,  the  air  supply 
should  be  so  regulated  that  the  flame  is  a  very  deep  blue 
or  even  violet,  if  possible.  The  bluer  the  flame,  the  hotter 
it  will  be  found.  The  higher  the  temperature,  the  more 
perfect  the  combustion  and  the  less  will  be  the  gas  con¬ 
sumed.  The  Bunsen  burner  may  be  operated  with  any 
kind  of  gas,  either  illuminating  or  acetylene,  and  it  may 


2G 


SOLDERING  AND  BRAZING. 


also  be  operated  with  ordinary  gasoline  vapor.  In  the 
gasoline  torch,  as  the  name  implies,  that  substance  is  used 
to  supply  combustion. 

The  improved  form  of  gasoline  torch  has  its  air  pump 
in  the  handle  A,  Fig.  9,  and  the  needle  valve  is  fitted  with 
a  bent  handle  B,  which  being  covered  with  some  poor  con¬ 
ductor  of  heat  does  not  become  as  hot  as  in  some  of  the 


Fig.  9. — The  Gasoline  Torch. 


older  forms  of  torches.  Some  torches  are  fitted  with  little 
brackets  at  C  and  D,  whereby  a  copper  may  be  laid  on  top 
while  being  heated.  This  is  a  very  convenient  arrange¬ 
ment.  The  tinner  who  is  unaccustomed  to  handling  blow 
torches  will  probably  have  trouble  until  he  becomes  fully 
conversant  with  the  tricks  and  traits  of  blow  torches  in 
general.  He  may  be  troubled  by  the  torch  extinguishing 
itself  easily  whenever  the  blaze  is  turned  to  a  low  point; 


TINNING  SOLDERING  COPPERS. 


27 


sometimes  this  is  due  to  roughness  of  the  needle  point, 
which  roughness  diverts  the  stream  of  gasoline  against  one 
side  of  the  perforated  combustion  shield.  When  this 
trouble  is  met  with  remove  the  needle  and  see  that  the 
point  is  made  smooth  and  that  it  is  clean  and  free  from 
rust. 

Leakage  in  Blow  Torches. 

More  trouble  is  met  with  in  leakage  of  air.  There  is 
a  valve  between  the  pump  and  the  gasoline  reservoir  which 
sometimes,  but  not  often,  fails  to  hold.  This  valve  is  sub¬ 
merged  in  gasoline  or  at  least  has  gasoline  on  one  side 
of  it — on  the  pressure  side — hence  any  leakage  of  this 
valve  will  be  known  by  gasoline  coming  out  of  the  pump. 
Another  source  of  leakage  is  through  or  around  the  filling 
plug.  Underneath  the  lamp  will  be  found  a  screw  plug, 
so  constructed  in  the  later  forms  of  torches  that  it  may 
be  tightened  by  a  wrench  or  by  putting  a  punch  through 
the  hole  in  the  plug.  A  piece  of  leather  is  fitted  around 
this  plug  and  w'hen  leakage  occurs  the  tinner  should  look 
to  this  plug  and  see  that  it  and  its  packing  is  in  good 
condition. 

Gasoline  leakage  will  occur  also  whenever  packing  be¬ 
comes  defective.  If  both  the  torch  and  the  plug  are  kept 
very  clean  and  every  particle  of  dirt  removed  before  they 
are  screwed  together,  there  will  be  little  chance  of  leakage 
around  the  packing  washer,  but  if  dirt  and  particularly 
metal  filings  are  permitted  to  adhere  thereto,  the  washer 
will  quickly  fail  to  keep  the  joint  tight. 

Air  Pump  Leakage. 

The  remaining  source  of  leakage,  except,  of  course, 
holes  in  the  reservoir,  is  in  and  around  the  air  pump. 
This  appliance  is  of  the  usual  bicycle  pump  construction, 


2S 


SOLDERING  AND  BRAZING. 


with  a  leather  cup  which  ser\Tes  as  a  plunger  valve.  A 
few  drops  of  oil  placed  in  the  pump,  around  the  rod,  and 
allowed  to  run  down  upon  the  leather,  will  usually  remove 
leakage  troubles  at  this  point.  Sometimes,  however,  the 
leather  packing  becomes  too  badly  worn  to  fit  the  pump 
barrel,  even  when  pressure  is  applied  by  the  hand.  In 
such  cases  carefully  cut  out,  form  and  put  in  a  new 
plunger  cup;  soak  the  leather  in  water  until  it  can  be 
shaped  to  the  proper  form  and  after  it  has  become  dry 
in  the  barrel,  stuff  it  full  of  oil,  which  should  be  frequently 
renewed,  as  gasoline  or  its  vapor  rapidly  extracts  oil  from 
the  packing  and  from  all  portions  of  the  pump. 

The  usual  source  of  air  leakage  is  around  the  pump  bar¬ 
rel,  where  it  is  screwed  into  the  reservoir.  Another  pack¬ 
ing  washer  will  be  found  at  this  point,  which  washer 
should  be  put  in  and  kept  in  a  smooth  condition,  the  same 
as  the  washer  around  the  filling  plug  in  the  bottom  of  the 
torch.  Sometimes  the  torch  extinguishes  itself  mysteri¬ 
ously  and  fails  to  start  again  until  it  is  struck  a  more  or 
less  severe  blow  with  a  hammer.  Sometimes  this  fault 
may  be  traced  to  dirty  gasoline.  It  is  well  when  filling  a 
blow  torch  to  avoid  shaking  the  gasoline  can  and  care¬ 
fully  pour  in  the  necessary  amount  without  stirring  up  any 
sediment  which  may  be  in  the  bottom  of  the  can.  Such 
gasoline  should  be  strained  through  several  thicknesses  of 
cloth,  excelsior  or  some  other  dirt  removing  substance. 
Sometimes  a  torch  fails  to  work  properly  because  the  air 
holes  in  the  perforated  burner  hood  have  become  closed. 
In  such  a  case  the  tang  of  a  file  or  end  of  a  sharp  reamer 
may  be  used  to  advantage  in  cleaning  out  the  holes. 

Starting  a  Blow  Torch. 

In  starting  a  blow  torch  it  is  supposed  that  the  tinner  is 
aware  that  the  burner  must  become  heated  hot  enough  to 
vaporize  gasoline  before  it  will  give  a  blue  flame.  When 


TINNING  SOLDERING  COPPERS. 


29 


a  blow  torch  puts  out  a  white  or  yellow  flame,  the  oper¬ 
ator  should  know  that  the  burner  has  become  too  cold  to 
work  properly.  This  may  result  from  too  much  gasoline, 
and  the  tinner  should  immediately  correct  this  fault  by 
making  the  torch  put  out  a  blue  flame  before  he  tries  to 
heat  coppers  or  to  solder  with  it. 

A  Blow  Torch  Furnace. 

To  obtain  a  high  degree  of  heat  from  the  blow  torch, 
so  as  to  heat  two  or  more  coppers  at  the  same  time,  place 
two  pieces  of  board  adjacent  to  each  other,  or  nail  up  a 
rough  box  without  ends  or  top,  as  shown  by  Fig.  io. 


Fig.  io. — -A  Blow  Torch  Furnace. 

Three  pieces  of  board  are  all  that  are  necessary  for  this 
purpose.  Block  up  under  the  boards  until  the  gasoline 


30 


SOLDERING  AND  BRAZING. 


torch  can  deliver  its  heat  between  them,  as  shown  at  E, 
where  the  burner  of  the  torch  is  pointed  between  the 
boards.  Two  or  more  coppers  may  be  placed  between 
the  boards  and  quickly  heated  at  the  same  time.  The  cop¬ 
pers,  I*  and  G,  are  simply  thrust  between  the  pieces  of 
board  upon  some  wire  nails  which  lave  been  driven  through 
one  of  the  boards  for  the  coppers  to  rest  upon.  One  of 
these  nails  is  seen  at  H  and  the  heads  of  the  other  nails 
at  I,  showing  how  they  are  driven  in  an  irregular  manner 
into  the  pieces  of  boards. 

This  arrangement  of  boards  will,  of  course,  burn  out  in 
a  short  time,  but  it  will  last  much  longer  than  would  be 
supposed.  A  device  made,  as  shown  by  the  engraving,  of 
common  one  inch  boards,  may  be  used  for  several  hours 
before  it  goes  to  pieces.  The  theory  of  this  method  of 
heating  copper  is  that  the  wood  is  quickly  turned  into 
charcoal  by  the  intense  heat  of  the  torch  and  becoming 
ignited,  a  much  hotter  fire  and  a  much  larger  one  is  made 
than  is  possible  with  the  blow  torch  alone.  In  fact,  if  the 
opening  between  the  boards  is  packed  with  charcoal  or 
small  pieces  of  wood,  a  blaze  can  be  obtained  between  the 
boards  which  will  almost  melt  brass  or  copper. 

A  very  good  furnace  for  heavy  work  may  be  made  by 
piling  up  three  or  four  bricks  in  sucH  a  manner  that  the 
coppers  may  be  placed  inside  and  the  flame  from  the  blow 
torch  bear  directly  upon  them.  With  the  addition  of  a 
little  charcoal  or  small  pieces  of  wood  or  even  sawdust,  in 
or  around  the  coppers,  a  fierce  heat  may  be  obtained  which 
can  be  equalled  only  by  a  smith’s  fire.  This  device  is  not 
only  suitable  for  heating  copper,  but  the  blow  torch 
furnace  may  be  used  for  many  brazing  operations,  as  will 
be  described  in  the  chapter  devoted  to  that  matter. 


TINNING  SOLDERING  COPPERS. 


31 


The  Blow  Pipe. 

Soldering  by  means  of  the  blow  pipe  is  practised  very 
extensively  by  jewellers  and  mechanics  who  do  very  small 
and  very  fine  work,  but  the  blow  pipe  method  of  soldering 
is  just  as  applicable  to  large  as  well  as  to  small  work,  pro¬ 
vided  the  blow  pipe  be  made  of  a  size  proportioned  to  the 
work  to  be  done.  The  blow  pipe  as  used  by  jewellers,  is  a 
little  tin  or  brass  tube,  large  at  one  end,  si'nall  at  the  other 
and  from  ten  to  twelve  inches  long.  A  mouth  piece  is  ar¬ 
ranged  at  the  large  end  and  a  stream  of  air  which  issues 
from  the  minute  hole  in  the  small  end  of  the  pipe  is  di¬ 
rected  against  the  flame  of  a  lamp  torch  or  candle. 

This  form  of  blow  pipe  is  shown  in  Fig.  n,  and  at  C  is 
shown  the  blow  pipe  in  position,  in  front  of  a  candle. 


Fig.  ii. — Common  Blow  Pipe. 


From  the  effect  which  the  blast  of  air  from  the  pipe  has 
upon  the  candle  flame,  it  will  be  noted  that  the  flame  is 
deflected  to  a  nearly  horizontal  position.  It  will  also  be 
noted  that  there  is,  what  may  be  called,  two  flames,  one 
at  A,  the  other  at  B,  the  latter  seemingly  inside  of  the 
former.  There  are  two  flames,  in  fact,  as  well  as  in  ap¬ 
pearance.  The  one  at  A  may  be  drawn  down  to  a  very 
fine  point  and  is  called  the  oxidizing  flame.  The  one  at  B 
is  not  as  blue  as  the  flame  at  A  and  is  called  the  reducing 
flame. 


32 


SOLDERING  AND  BRAZING. 


Action  of  the  Blow  Pipe  Flames. 

To  illustrate  the  action  of  both  of  these  flames,  direct 
the  flame  A  upon  some  bits  of  solder  and  note  how  quickly 
the  solder  is  oxidized  or  turned  into  dross.  Then  change 
the  jxisition  of  the  blow  pipe  and  candle,  so  that  the 
reducing  flame  B  be  made  to  impinge  upon  the  dross; 
it  will  be  only  a  few  minutes  before  the  action  of  the 
reducing  flame  changes  the  oxide  back  into  pure  metal. 

For  this  reason,  it  is  best  when  soldering  to  bring  the 
reducing  flame  against  the  work  as  much  as  possible.  This 
means  the  pushing  of  the  blow  pipe  forward  until  the  in¬ 
side  flame  reaches  the  point  to  be  heated.  If  the  place  to 
be  soldered  is  larger  than  the  pencil  of  flame  which  reaches 
it,  then  move  the  blow  pipe  to  and  fro,  slightly  directing 
the  flame  alternately  over  the  entire  surface  which  is 
to  be  brought  to  the  melting  point  of  solder. 

When  to  Apply  Fluxes. 

Fluxes  should  be  applied  at  the  same  time,  or  before  the 
heat  is  turned  on;  sometimes  the  flux  will  not  stay  in 
place  until  the  surfaces  have  been  heated  slightly,  but  in 
any  case,  the  flux  should  be  applied  before  the  metal  has 
become  hot  enough  to  oxidize  easily.  Usually  a  bit  of 
solder  will  float  over  the  surface  and  spread  itself  in  all 
directions,  by  capillary  attraction,  as  soon  as  it  becomes 
melted,  but  sometimes  when  the  surface  is  not  quite  clean 
or  is  not  fluxed  properly,  there  will  be  trouble  in  making 
the  solder  flow  to  some  parts  of  the  metal  to  be  soldered. 

When  this  happens,  the  tool  shown  by  Fig.  4  should  be 
brought  into  use  and  placed  in  the  flame  of  the  blow  pipe 
until  heated  to  the  melting  point  of  solder,  when  the  tool 
may  be  used  like  an  ordinary  soldering  copper,  but  right 
in  the  blow  pipe  flame,  and  the  melted  solder  rubbed  upon 


TINNING  SOLDERING  COPPERS. 


33 


the  surface  to  be  soldered  until  it  adheres  to  and  flows  to 
the  point  where  it  is  wanted.  In  soldering  with  a  blow 
pipe,  never  try  to  bridge  over  any  holes  or  wide  places  be¬ 
tween  metal  surfaces.  This  is  a  trick  easily  accomplished 
with  the  soldering  copper,  but  in  blow  pipe  work  the  joints 
should  be  fitted  closely  together  and  carefully  held  in  con¬ 
tact  with  each  other  while  the  solder  is  being  applied.  The 
same  is  true  with  blow  torch  soldering  and  directions  given 
for  blow  pipe  work  are  equally  applicable  to  soldering  with 
the  blow  torch. 


CHAPTER  III. 


SOLDERS  AND  FLUXES. 

Selecting  Solder. 

Two  metal  surfaces  may  be  joined  together  with  almost 
any  alloy  of  lead  and  tin,  or  with  either  metal  alone,  but 
there  is  a  certain  proportion  of  each  metal  which  makes  an 
alloy  best  fitted  for  certain  kinds  of  work.  The  table  of 
lead  and  tin  alloys  on  page  35  will  enable  the  experienced 
tinsmith  to  select  the  alloy  best  suited  to  the  work  which  he 
is  to  perform.  Generally  speaking,  and  for  the  guidance 
of  inexperienced  tinners,  it  may  be  stated  that  the  softer 
the  metal  to  be  soldered,  the  stronger  will  be  the  joint 
after  the  work  has  been  completed. 

There  arc  some  exceptions  to  this  rule,  as  to  almost  all 
others.  When  soldering  ordinary  tin,  a  solder  made  of 
equal  parts  of  tin  and  lead  is  well  adapted  to  general  use. 
This  is  well  known  as  the  “  half  and  half  ”  solder.  For 
more  difficult  work,  such  as  wiped  joints  for  lead  or  brass, 
a  solder  having  great  tenacity  in  a  iluid  or  semi-fluid  state 
is  required.  In  cases  of  this  kind  the  workman  will  use  a 
solder  with  a  large  proportion  of  tin.  As  the  scientist  puts 
it,  **  very  rich  in  tin  as  the  machinist  expresses  it,  two- 
thirds  or  three-fourths  fine.”  He  distinguishes  between 
alloys  of  lead  and  tin  by  calling  them  coarse,  medium, 

“  fine,”  etc.  Thus  a  coarse  solder  for  roofing  work  may  be 
largely  composed  of  lead. 

As  stated  above,  for  wiped  joints,  a  solder  alloy  must  con¬ 
tain  more  tin.  For  soldering  certain  soft  alloys  known  as 

34 


SOLDERS  AND  FLUXES. 


35 


white  metals,  pure  tin  is  sometimes  used,  but  for  still  other 
and  more  fusible  alloys  the  mechanic  must  choose  one  of 
the  bismuth  alloys  when  selecting  a  solder  for  the  work  in 
hand. 

The  following  list  of  solders  shows  the  work  to  which 
they  are  particularly  adapted,  and  while  they  may  be  used, 
of  course,  for  other  purposes,  they  will  be  found  more  suit¬ 
able  for  the  work  for  which  they  are  designed. 


Selected  Solders. 

The  following  table  of  alloys  and  their  melting  points 
was  compiled  from  various  sources,  among  them  “  Kent’s 
Engineering  Handbook.”  The  melting  points  there  given 
have  not  been  confirmed  by  the  author,  but  were  taken  as 
given  by  Kent.  Brannt,  in  his  “  Metal  Workers’  Hand¬ 
book,”  gives  a  list  of  twelve  solders,  made  up  of  lead  and 
tin  alloys,  in  which  the  proportions  and  melting  points 
vary  greatly  from  the  table  given  by  Kent. 

Table  of  Lead  and  Tin  Alloys,  by  W.  F.  Brannt. 


—  Parts. -  ■ 

Melts  at 

Number. 

Tin. 

Lead. 

Deg.  Kahr 

I 

I 

25 

558 

2 

I 

IO 

54i 

3 

I 

5 

5ii 

4 

I 

3 

482 

5 

I 

2 

441 

6 

I 

I 

370 

7 

I 

334 

8 

2 

I 

340 

9 

3 

I 

356 

IO 

4 

I 

365 

n 

5 

I 

378 

12 

6 

I 

380 

30 


SOLDERING  AND  BRAZING. 

The  author  of  the  table  further  states  that  solders  from 
No.  4  to  No.  8  are  used  with  tallow  as  a  flux,  and  that  No. 
8  may  be  used  with  a  mixture  of  resin  and  sweet  oil  when 
soldering  lead  and  tin  pipes.  He  also  recommends  No.  8, 
provided  chloride  of  zinc  or  resin  be  used  as  a  flux,  for 
soldering  Britannia  metal,  cast  iron  and  steel,  but  that 
common  resin  or  salammoniac  be  used  with  the  latter  met¬ 
als.  He  also  advises  that  No.  8  be  used  for  soldering  cop¬ 
per,  brass,  gun  metal,  etc.,  using  either  salammoniac,  chlor¬ 
ide  of  zinc  or  resin  as  a  flux. 


Plumber’s  Sealed  Solder. 

No.  5  solder  is  commonly  used  by  English  plumbers  and 
is  assayed  and  stamped  by  an  oflicer  of  the  Plumbers 
Union.  When  thus  tested  and  marked  it  is  known  to  the 
English  plumber  and  the  trade  as  “  plumbers’  sealed  solder.” 

In  order  that  the  tinner  may  not  fall  into  error  by  de¬ 
pending  upon  erroneous  melting  points  given  by  various 
authorities,  it  may  be  stated  that  the  melting  points  of  simi¬ 
lar  alloys,  according  to  Kent,  and  as  given  by  Brannt,  are 
as  follows: 


Comparison  of  Solder  Melting  Points. 


Tin. 

Lead. 

No. 

—  Hero. - - 

Melting  Point. 

No. 

Melting 

3 

I 

17 

334 

9 

356 

2 

I 

20 

360 

8 

340 

I 

I 

23 

466 

6 

370 

I 

2 

24 

475 

5 

44I 

I 

3 

4 

482 

The  hard  solders  vary  greatly  in  composition,  accord¬ 
ing  to  the  metals  they  are  to  be  used  with.  An  exhaustive 
description  of  hard  solders,  and  the  metals  from  which 


SOLDERS  AND  FLUXES. 


37 


they  are  derived,  will  be  given  in  the  chapters  devoted 
to  hard  soldering  and  brazing. 


Method  of  Making  Solder. 

Solders  may  be  purchased  ready  made,  but  in  many 
cases  the  mechanic  finds  it  advisable  to  make  his  own 
solder,  especially  for  special  work.  It  will  pay  to  use  a 
porcelain  lined  kettle  for  making  fine  solders,  particularly 
soft  solders,  because  lead  and  tin  alloy  so  easily  with  zinc 
and  iron  that  the  solder  may  be  contaminated  by  merely 
melting  it  in  an  iron  ladle,  some  portions  of  that  metal 
being  taken  up  and  absorbed  by  the  solder,  particularly 
while  at  the  temperature  necessary  for  fusing. 

When  making  solder,  weigh  out  the  metals  intended  to 
be  used,  then  melt  the  tin  first,  put  in  the  lead  next,  which 
should  be  cut  in  small  pieces  or  hammered  into  long  strips 
and  fed  into  the  tin  slowly.  Stir  continually,  using  a  stick 
for  the  purpose.  Wood  is  desirable  for  stirring  solder, 
for  the  reason  that  the  outside  is  turned  into  charcoal, 
which  has  a  beneficial  action  upon  the  alloy.  Were  an 
iron  rod  used  for  stirring,  some  of  that  metal  might  be 
absorbed  by  the  alloy. 

Do  not  try  to  keep  the  surface  of  the  metal  clean  while 
it  is  melting;  on  the  contrary,  it  is  well  to  keep  the  sur¬ 
face  covered  with  a  mixture  of  powdered  charcoal  and 
soda  or  borax.  This  will  prevent  formation  of  oxide  or 
dross  and  will  reduce  to  a  metallic  state  some  of  the  oxide 
which  may  already  have  formed  on  the  surface  of  the 
hot  metal.  Stir  the  metal  thoroughly  with  a  piece  of 
wood,  as  directed,  and  then  pour  into  molds,  which  are 
preferably  made  of  iron,  and  which  are  of  the  shape  and 
size  of  those  used  for  ordinary  soldering  sticks  as  pur¬ 
chased  from  dealers. 


38 


SOLDERING  AND  BRAZING. 


A  Mold  for  Soldering  Sticks  or  Bars. 

While  the  iron  mold  is  preferable,  as  noted  above,  the 
workman  may  make  for  himself  a  very  inexpensive  mold, 
which  will  answer  every  purpose,  provided  he  does  not 
wish  to  use  it  too  often.  To  make  up  such  a  mold,  plane 
out  a  stick  of  wood  to  the  exact  size  and  shape  of  the 
bars  to  be  molded.  From  one  to  a  dozen — any  number,  in 
fact — may  be  prepared  and  placed  on  a  smooth  board,  side 
by  side,  from  one-fourth  to  three-eighths  of  an  inch  apart. 
These  sticks  are  patterns  of  the  soldering  sticks  or  bars; 
they  should  be  made  with  considerable  “  draft,”  as  the 
foundry  man  would  call  it,  to  enable  the  solder  to  come 
out  of  the  mold  easily  after  cooling. 

Patterns  for  Solder  Sticks  or  Bars. 

After  the  pattern  sticks  have  been  placed  as  directed, 
upon  a  board,  mix  up  some  Portland  cement,  such  as  is 
used  by  concrete  men,  with  two  parts  of  fine  sand  and  add 
water  enough  to  give  the  mixture  the  consistency  of  cream. 
Pour  this  over  the  pattern  sticks  until  they  are  covered 
to  the  depth  of  at  least  one-half  an  inch,  allowing  it  to  re¬ 
main  from  twelve  to  twenty-four  hours,  until  strong 
enough  to  stand  handling,  then  turn  the  concrete  mass  the 
other  side  up,  and  pry  out  the  wooden  pattern  sticks  with 
a  screwdriver  or  some  other  pointed  tool.  It  is  best  to  let 
the  cement  mold  lie  for  a  couple  of  weeks  before  using; 
keep  it  wet  during  that  time;  but,  if  necessary,  the  mold 
may  be  used  in  twenty-four  hours  after  having  been  made, 
but  it  will  probably  go  to  pieces  after  one  or  two  pourings 
of  solder,  while  if  allowed  to  harden  or  cure  from  two  to 
four  weeks  it  may  then  be  used  over  and  over  again. 


SOLDERS  AIND  FLUXES. 


39 


Dry  Molds  before  Using  Them. 

Before  using  this  mold,  place  it  in  an  oven  and  dry 
thoroughly.  It  may  be  used  without  drying,  but  there  is 
some  danger  that  the  moisture  in  the  mold  may  cause  the 
solder  to  sputter.  Sometimes  when  the  hot  metal  hits  a 
small  cavity  filled  with  water,  in  the  bottom  of  a  mold,  hot 
solder  will  fly  several  feet.  Drying  the  mold,  as  directed 
above,  wall  prevent  any  possibility  of  an  accident  from 
moisture.  After  drying,  the  concrete  mold  may  be  dusted 
with  plumbago,  powdered  soapstone,  or  even  whiting  may 
be  used  to  advantage.  This  will  make  the  sticks  of  solder 
much  smoother,  and  they  will  come  out  of  the  mold  easier. 
A  little  heavy  oil,  such  as  is  used  in  gas  engine  cylinders, 
may  be  brushed  over  the  surface  of  the  mold,  which  may 
also  be  sprinkled  with  resin  if  desired,  but  when  resin 
is  used  the  bars  must  be  lifted  out  of  the  molds  as  soon 
as  they  set,  for  if  allowed  to  remain  until  entirely  cool  the 
resin  will  cement  them  to  the  mold  so  strongly  that  the 
solder  cannot  be  removed  without  danger  of  breaking  the 
mold. 

It  should,  perhaps,  be  stated  that  the  channels  formed 
by  removing  the  pattern  sticks  from  the  mold  should  be 
connected  to  a  main  channel  passing  the  ends  of  all  the 
small  channels.  The  cast,  as  it  comes  from  the  mold, 
closely  resembles  a  gridiron,  the  sticks  of  solder  forming 
the  bars  or  grids.  The  main  piece  to  which  the  bars  ad¬ 
here  is  known  in  shop  vernacular  as  the  “  sow  the  small 
bars  of  solder  hanging  thereto  are  called  pigs.  A  similar 
arrangement  is  used  at  blast  furnaces  for  pouring  iron 
from  the  smelter  into  merchantable  forms,  hence  the  term 
pig  iron,  wdth  which  we  are  all  familiar. 


40 


SOLDERING  AND  BRAZING. 


Fluxes  and  Fluxing. 

It  was  stated  elsewhere  that  fluxes  are  used  to  prevent 
oxidization  of  metals,  either  of  the  solder  or  of  the  pieces 
to  be  united  by  the  solder.  A  flux  is  used  in  certain  other 
cases  where  it  is  desired  to  melt  material  not  easily  fused. 
In  this  case  the  substance  used  as  a  flux  is  more  easily 
fused  than  the  refractory  material,  and  when  once  melted 
they  seem  to  induce  the  melting  of  the  refractory  sub¬ 
stance.  Not  only  do  they  transmit  heat  better,  but  they 
seem  actually  to  lower  the  melting  point  of  the  substance 
to  be  fused. 

Mechanical  Action  of  Fluxes. 

An  idea  may  be  obtained  of  the  mechanical  way  in  which 
fluxes  act  as  transmitters  of  heat  by  performing  a  little  ex¬ 
periment  with  a  hot  soldering  copper.  Put  a  bit  of  solder 
between  two  thin  strips  of  brass  and  try  to  melt  the  solder 
by  applying  a  clean  copper  to  the  opposite  side  of  one  of 
the  brass  strips.  Unless  the  copper  be  very  hot  indeed,  it 
will  be  found  a  slow  and  sometimes  impossible  task  (the 
copper  not  being  tinned)  to  melt  the  solder  between  the 
strips  of  brass.  With  a  tinned  soldering  copper  the  opera¬ 
tion  is  more  easily  performed.  Take  a  large  strip  of 
solder  on  the  copper,  place  it  upon  a  strip  of  brass,  press 
the  hot  copper  into  the  solder  and  see  how  quickly  the  heat 
will  be  transmitted  through  the  brass  and  melt  the  solder 
A  flux  acts  in  the  same  way  to  a  great  extent;  thus  a  flue 
really  has  two  or  three  offices— first ,  preventing  oxidization; 
second,  transmitting  heat  readily;  and,  third,  seemingly 
lowering  the  melting  point. 

In  soldering,  we  need  only  take  into  consideration  the  first 
two  offices,  namely,  preventing  oxidization  and  transmitting 
heat  readily.  A  flux,  therefore,  must  be  selected  for  each 


SOLDERS  AND  FLUXES. 


41 


operation  which  can  protect  the  metal  to  be  soldered  and 
the  solder  to  be  used,  and  which  can  also  withstand  and 
readily  transmit  the  degree  of  heat  necessary  for  soldering. 


The  Common  Fluxes. 

The  fluxes  most  commonly  used  are  borax,  a  mixture  of 
cream  of  tartar,  also  crude  tartar,  salammoniac,  saltpeter 
and  common  salt.  Charcoal  may  be  added  to  the  list,  also 
resin  and  certain  heavy  oils.  A  number  of  fluxes  will  be 
described  in  the  chapters  devoted  to  brazing  and  hard 
soldering. 

Soldering  Compounds. 

Fluxes  are  sometimes  made  up  of  several  ingredients,  ac¬ 
cording  to  the  experience  or  whim  of  the  user.  In  this 
condition  they  are  called  soldering  compound,  soldering 
paste,  soldering  fat,  etc.  Several  solders  were  described 
above  and  the  fluxes  which  may  be  used  with  them.  The 
compounds  may  be  taken  as  additional  to  the  fluxes  there 
described. 


Soldering  Paste. 

Chloride  of  tin  is  often  used  in  soldering  when  mixed 
with  starch  or  paste  until  it  is  about  as  thick  as  cream  or 
vaseline.  This  mixture  is  freely  daubed  over  the  territory 
to  be  soldered  and  stays  in  place  under  certain  conditions 
better  than  when  used  in  liquid  form.  Some  tinners  pre¬ 
fer  an  oily  substance  instead  of  one  made  in  the  form  of  a 
paste.  Such  a  compound  is  called  a  “  soldering  fat  and 
may  be  made  by  saturating  one-fourth  of  a  pound  of  water 
with  salammoniac.  The  water  will  take  on  a  yellow  color 
and  some  salammoniac  will  remain  undissolved  in  the 


42 


SOLDERING  AND  BRAZING. 


liquid.  It  is  best  to  pulverize  the  salammoniac  to  make  it 
dissolve  more  readily.  Place  the  solution  to  one  side  for 
use  later,  then  melt  one  pound  of  tallow  and  stir  in  an 
equal  amount  of  olive  oil,  then  add  one-half  pound  of 
pulverized  colophony,  boiling  several  minutes  to  make 
sure  the  ingredients  are  mixed  thoroughly.  When  nearly 
cold  add  the  quarter  pound  of  saturated  water  already 
prepared  and  the  mixture  is  ready  for  use. 

Action  of  Colophony. 

This  substance,  which  bears  such  a  sonorous  name,  is 
nothing  more  nor  less  than  plain  resin,  so  when  some  one 
wants  to  sell  you  “  Colophony  Soldering  Compound,”  you 
will  know  just  what  it  is.  Its  action  is  similar  to 
that  of  turpentine  and  even  of  the  very  volatile  oil  of 
turpentine,  all  of  which  act  in  the  following  manner: 
When  heated  to  the  temperature  of  melted  solder,  they 
decompose  into  hydrogen  and  carbon,  it  being  under¬ 
stood  that  the  carbon  acts  upon  the  dross  or  oxide  formed 
on  the  joint  to  be  soldered  and  wholly  or  partially  re¬ 
duces  the  oxide,  thereby  rendering  soMering  possible. 
Later  experiments  by  Spencer  seem  to  prove  that  hydro¬ 
gen  which  is  liberated  at  the  same  time  the  carbon  is  sepa¬ 
rated  also  acts  as  a  reducing  agent  and  takes  care  of  a 
considerable  amount  of  oxide  which  otherwise  would  pre¬ 
vent  or  interfere  with  the  soldering  operation.  Beeswax  is 
also  a  hydro-carbon,  and  in  certain  cases  may  be  used 
instead  of  resin  for  a  flux  with  soft  solder. 

Use  of  Soldering  Fluids  and  Compounds. 

In  the  making  of  soldering  fluids,  the  tinsmith  is  often 
guided  by  whim  or  hearsay.  He  has  used  a  certain  solder¬ 
ing  fluid,  compound  or  flux,  with  excellent  satisfaction 


SOLDERS  AND  FLUXES. 


43 


upon  one  kind  of  work  and  gets  the  idea  that  it  works  so 
well  upon  one  job  that  it  is  equally  applicable  to  all  kinds 
of  work.  It  is  for  this  reason  that  we  find  so  many 
widely  different  compounds  and  fluids  used  for  the  same 
operation,  in  various  shops.  In  one  shop  they  use  acid 
(hydrochloric)  for  soldering  brass.  The  writer  never 
thinks  of  using  an  acid  for  brass  if  he  can  get  hold  of 
resin  or  a  soldering  compound  made  from  that  substance. 
It  is  in  the  hope  that  the  tinsmith  will  “  use  his  head  ”  a 
little  more  than  his  memory,  in  the  selection  and  use  of 
fluxes  and  compounds,  that  the  instructions  relating  to  this 
portion  of  soldering  are  given  at  considerable  length.  The 
writer  has  drawn  largely  upon  his  own  experience  for  this 
data  and  has  also  taken  much  from  the  successful  practice 
of  other  mechanics. 


Soldering  Liquids. 

Nearly  every  tinner  has  a  soldering  liquid  or  compound 
upon  which  he  prides  himself,  hence  the  number  of  solder¬ 
ing  liquids  is  legion.  Most  of  them  are  good.  Hydro¬ 
chloric  (muriatic)  acid  represents  one  type  of  solder¬ 
ing  fluid;  chloride  of  tin  represents  another  variety  and 
phosphoric  acid  seems  to  be  the  limit  in  the  third  direction. 
Hydrochloric  acid  acts  by  corroding  or  dissolving  the 
oxide.  This  acid  is  used  in  the  raw  state  when  soldering 
zinc  or  galvanized  iron.  It  is  applied  directly  to  the 
surface  and  the  soldering  copper  passed  over  them  while 
they  are  still  wet  with  acid. 


Chloride  of  Zinc. 

This  substance  is  perhaps  the  best  known  of  soldering 
fluids  It  is  prepared  by  dissolving  in  hydrochloric  acid 
all  the  zinc  the  acid  will  take  up.  There  is.  however,  a 


44 


SOLDERING  AND  BRAZING. 


doubt  in  the  minds  of  many  mechanics  as  to  the 
permanency  of  joints  made  with  this  fluid.  Some  people 
claim  that  the  acid  is  not  gotten  rid  of  during  the  solder¬ 
ing  operation  and  that  corrosion  will  set  in  sooner  or  later 
and  eventually  destroy  the  soldering  connection  by  eating 
away  one  or  the  other  of  the  metals  where  they  come  in 
contact.  It  is  claimed  that  this  action,  though  sometimes 
slow,  bound  to  take  place  and  that  the  soldered  joint 
fluxed  with  chloride  of  zinc,  will,  sooner  or  later,  fall 
apart. 


A  Good  Soldering  Fluid. 

The  corrosive  action  of  hydrochloric  acid  and  chlor¬ 
ide  of  zinc  may  be  eliminated  and  a  fluid  that  will  not 
rust  iron  or  steel  may  be  prepared,  as  follows:  The  usual 
amount  of  hydrochloric  acid  with  all  the  zinc  dissolved  in  it 
which  the  acid  will  cut,  is  left  standing  in  a  suitable  vessel 
with  undissolved  zinc  in  the  fluid.  After  being  sure  that  no 
more  zinc  will  be  consumed  by  the  acid,  pour  off  the  clear 
portion  of  the  fluid,  filter  it  and  to  every  three  parts  of  the 
solution  add  one  part  of  salammoniac  spirits.  When 
ready  to  use,  dilute  with  soft  water,  rain  water  if  possible, 
until  it  is  at  the  strength  which  is  known  to  work  best. 
This  fluid  may  be  used  for  almost  all  soldering  operations, 
and  for  tinning  iron  or  steel. 

Lactic  Acid  Soldering  Fluid. 

Still  another  substitute  for  zinc  chloride  and  one  which 
is  non-corrosive  to  metal,  is  formed  by  dissolving  in  water 
one  part  of  lactic  acid  and  an  equal  part  of  glycerine. 


SOLDERS  AND  FLUXES. 


45 


Qaudin’s  Soldering  Fluid. 

Still  another  soldering  fluid  may  be  made  by  dissolving 
in  spirits  of  wine  some  phosphoric  acid  and  adding  cryolite 
which  has  been  reduced  to  a  very  fine  powder. 


Borax  and  Resin  Soldering  Fluids. 

Borax,  as  well  as  resin,  may  be  used  for  soldering  in  liquid 
form.  When  thus  prepared  they  are  usually  found  much 
more  convenient  than  in  the  dry  form.  Ordinary  borax 
may  be  dissolved  in  water  and  then  applied  to  the  work 
with  a  brush  or  a  swab.  Resin  may  be  reduced  to  a  solu¬ 
tion  by  means  of  any  liquid  which  will  dissolve  it.  It  is  a 
peculiarity  of  most  of  the  gums  and  resins  that  some  are 
soluble  in  gasoline,  others  in  alcohol,  while  but  few  can  be 
dissolved  by  both  liquids.  Usually  those  which  will  dis¬ 
solve  in  one  are  insoluble  in  the  other.  Resin  thus  dis¬ 
solved  may  be  kept  in  an  air  tight  vessel  and  forms  a  very 
convenient  flux  for  the  reason  that  when  applied  by  a 
brush  or  stick,  in  the  fluid  state,  the  solvent  readily  evapor¬ 
ates,  leaving  the  resin  adhering  tightly  to  the  metal  to  be 
soldered.  This  is  particularly  desirable  when  soldering 
tin  roofs  and  other  work  exposed  to  the  weather,  where 
wind  would  blow  loose  resin  away  before  the  joints  could 
be  soldered. 


Flux  for  Aluminum 

An  easily  handled  flux  for  aluminum  is  sulphuric  acid 
and  tallow.  The  former  is  applied  to  the  aluminum  and 
dissolves  the  thin  coating  of  oxide  always  found  upon 
the  surface  of  this  metal.  It  is  then  coated  with  tallow. 


46 


SOLDERING  AND  BRAZING. 


but  salammoniac  is  used  in  some  soldering  operations, 
which  should  be  done  with  a  freshly  tinned  copper. 


Fluxes  for  Aluminum  and  Bronze. 

A  flux,  which  will  enable  aluminum  and  bronze  to  be 
soldered  with  ordinary  soft  solder,  contains  a  strong  solu¬ 
tion  of  copper  sulphate.  Immerse  the  parts  to  be  soldered 
in  this  solution,  also  put  in  a  soft  iron  rod  which  must  be 
made  to  touch  both  parts  to  be  joined.  This  arrangement 
will  cause  a  copperlikc  surface  to  appear  on  the  bronze. 
The  parts  may  then  be  removed  from  the  bath,  rinsed 
very  clean  and  brightened  where  the  solder  is  to  adhere. 
When  in  this  condition,  the  surfaces  may  be  easily  tinned 
by  means  of  the  ordinary  zinc  and  muriatic  acid  solution, 
using  common  soft  solder  to  unite  the  parts. 

Coloring  Soft  Soldering  Seams. 

Sometimes  on  repair  work,  and  also  in  some  new  work, 
it  is  desirable  that  soldered  seams  be  colored  to  match  the 
surfaces  united.  Quite  a  range  of  color  can  be  obtained 
by  the  use  of  copper  sulphate.  This  is  the  ordinary  blue 
vitriol  used  by  telegraph  lines  in  their  gravity  batteries.  A 
solution  of  this  salt  should  be  made  by  placing  a  small 
piece  in  a  dish  of  water  and  stirring  it  until  the  water  will 
take  up  no  more  o‘:  the  sulphate.  Paint  the  part  to  be 
colored  with  this  solution  either  by  means  of  a  brush  or  a 
bit  of  cloth  on  a  stick.  While  the  coating  is  still  wet, 
touch  it  with  a  bit  of  iron  or  steel  when  the  surface  will 
immediately  become  covered  with  a  coating  of  metallic 
copper  very  thin  and  hard.  By  moistening  several  times 
and  rubbing  with  a  wire  each  time,  the  coating  may  be 
thus  thickened  until  the  desired  color  is  obtained,  provided 
the  color  can  be  matched  by  shades  of  copper  color. 


SOLDERS  AND  FLUXES. 


47 


Where  a  yellow  tinge  is  desired,  a  portion  of  the  solu¬ 
tion  of  sulphate  of  copper  may  be  replaced  by  a  solution 
of  sulphate  of  zinc.  Apply  the  mixture  to  the  copper  and 
touch  with  a  zinc  rod.  By  varying  the  proportions  of 
these  two  solutions  and  the  manner  of  applying  also  the 
manner  of  rubbing  with  iron  and  zinc,  almost  any  shade 
may  be  obtained  from  solder  white  to  deep  copper  color. 
Sometimes  it  is  necessary  to  gild  a  soldered  seam;  when 
this  is  to  be  done,  copper  the  surfaces  as  above  directed, 
then  coat  with  a  solution  of  gum  or  fresh  glue  and  scatter 
bronze  powder  upon  the  surface  thus  coated.  If  allowed 
to  dry  undisturbed,  the  bronze  powder  may  then  be 
polished. 


CHAPTER  IV. 


SOLDERING  FLUIDS. 

Too  much  care  cannot  be  taken  in  preparing  both  sol¬ 
dering  fluids  and  soldering  compounds.  Dirty,  sloppy  prep¬ 
arations  of  these  articles  often  result  in  a  great  deal  of 
loss  of  time  in  their  subsequent  use.  When  making  a 
soldering  fluid  in  which  chloride  of  zinc  is  the  chief  in¬ 
gredient,  place  the  acid  in  a  clean  vessel  of  glass  or  some 
substance  not  corroded  by  that  liquid.  Do  not  use  an  iron 
dish  for  making,  keeping  or  storing  either  acid  or  zinc 
chloride.  The  tinner  usually  makes  up  from  a  pint  to  a 
quart  of  the  solution  at  one  time,  but  he  must  take  care 
that  the  heat  evolved  during  the  mixing  of  the  acid  with 
the  zinc  does  not  crack  the  vessel  in  which  the  operation 
is  performed.  A  good  deal  of  heat  is  let  loose  during  this 
chemical  operation  and  the  zinc  is  burned  into  ashes  just 
as  truly  as  if  it  were  consumed  in  the  smith’s  forge  or  in 
the  tinner’s  fire  pot. 

Precautions  Necessary  in  “  Cutting  ”  Zinc. 

A  one  quart  or  two  quart  glass  jar  (such  as  is  used 
for  canning  fruit)  is  a  handy  vessel  for  use  in  making 
soldering  fluids.  Pour  the  acid  into  the  jar,  then  pour 
in  about  one-eighth  to  one-quarter  as  much  pure  water, 
or  as  pure  as  can  be  obtained.  Rain  water  is  excellent  for 
this  purpose,  also  condensed  steam  from  a  radiator.  Don  t 
put  the  water  in  the  dish  first  and  then  pour  in  the  acid; 

48 


SOLDERING  FLUIDS. 


4b 


this  method  may  cause  an  accident  as  very  strong  acid, 
coming  in  contact  with  a  little  water  in  the  dish,  sometimes 
sets  up  a  very  lively  disturbance. 


Clean  the  Zinc. 

Stir  the  solution  either  with  a  wooden  stick  or  a  zinc 
rod,  but  on  no  account  stir  with  a  piece  of  iron  or  steel. 
The  mixture  is  now  ready  for  the  zinc,  which  should  be 
clean.  Do  not  put  a  lot  of  dirty  zinc  in  acid  when  you 
are  making  soldering  fluids.  The  zinc  may  be  easily 
cleaned  by  dipping  it  into  another  dish  of  acid  and  then 
washing  well  before  it  is  put  into  the  dissolving  dish. 
Good  chloride  of  zinc  can  possibly  be  made  from  dirty, 
greasy  zinc,  but  a  better  solution  can  be  made  from  clean 
zinc,  which  carries  no  impurities  on  its  surface. 


Avoid  Acid  Fumes. 

Do  not  put  a  large  amount  of  zinc  into  the  solution  at 
one  time.  Drop  it  in,  piece  by  piece;  in  this  way  you  will 
avoid 'a  sudden  boiling  or  effervescence  which  may  cause 
the  solution  to  rise  up  in  a  mass  of  bubbles  and  overflow 
the  dish  in  which  it  is  being  dissolved.  The  jar  should 
be  put  in  a  large  pan  or  set  on  the  ground  in  such  a  way 
that  should  the  jar  crack  from  the  heat  developed  inside 
of  it,  and  the  acid  run  out  of  the  broken  vessel,  it  will 
not  run  upon  bench,  tools  or  clothing.  Better  set  the  dish 
outside  where  the  acid  fumes  will  not  be  breathed  by  the 
workmen. 

Stir  the  contents  of  the  vessel  occasionally,  using  a  zinc 
rod  or  wooden  stick  in  all  cases  for  this  purpose.  Allow 
the  zinc  to  remain  in  the  solution  until  there  is  no  further 
sign  of  any  action  between  it  and  the  acid.  After  all  action 


50 


SOLDERING  AND  BRAZING. 


has  ceased,  add  a  little  water  to  the  solution  and  note  if 
any  bubbling  takes  place.  If  so  the  solution  should  be 
allowed  to  remain  in  contact  with  the  zinc  until  all  action 
has  ceased. 

Filtering  the  Zinc  Chloride  Solution. 

When  no  more  gas  bubbles  can  be  made  to  appear  on  the 
zinc,  either  by  shaking,  stirring  or  adding  water  to  the 
solution,  then  it  should  be  poured  out  of  the  jar  into  a 
filter  which  may  be  several  thicknesses  of  cloth,  filter  paper 
or  a  bit  of  clean  cotton  waste  tucked  in  the  bottom  of  a 
funnel. 

The  zinc  chloride  solution  is  now  ready  to  be  stored 
until  needed  for  use.  It  may  be  placed  in  another  fruit 
jar,  covered  to  keep  out  the  dirt  and  set  one  side  until 
needed,  where  it  will  not  be  mistaken  by  the  workman  for 
his  coffee  can,  as  it  does  not  make  a  good  beverage.  When 
required  for  use,  dilute  with  one  or  two  parts  water,  as 
described  elsewhere. 

Testing  Hydrochloric  Acid. 

There  is  a  great  difference  in  commercial  acids  as  pur¬ 
chased  for  making  zinc  chloride.  There  arc  chemical  tests 
which  may  be  used  by  the  tinner,  but  it  is  not  always  prac¬ 
ticable  or  desirable  to  do  so  as  it  takes  considerable  time. 
The  best  way  in  selecting  the  acid  is  to  put  it  up  to  your 
dealer  to  supply  the  quality  required.  Commercial  muriatic 
or  hydrochloric  acid  is  nothing  but  a  solution  of  gas  in 
water.  Pure  hydrochloric  acid  is  not  a  liquid  but  a  dense 
gas  which  throws  off  heavy  fumes  when  exposed  to  the 
air  and  the  strength  of  the  acid  depends  on  the  amount 
of  this  gas  which  has  been  absorbed  by  the  quantity  of 
water. 


SOLDERING  FLUIDS. 


51 


Use  of  the  Hydrometer. 

The  acid  may  be  tested  by  means  of  a  hydrometer.  This 
is  a  little  instrument  which  is  placed  in  a  deep  dish  of 
the  acid  and  a  reading  taken  which  shows  the  depth  to 
which  the  instrument  sinks  in  the  acid.  In  pure  water,  the 
most  of  these  instruments,  the  one  known  as  Baume’s 
in  particular,  will  sink  to  the  zero  mark.  In  acid  which  is 
heavier  than  water,  the  instrument  will  not  sink  as  deeply 
and  in  the  strongest  acid  known  it  will  not  go  deeper  than 
the  25  degree  point.  Water  is  so  fond  of  hydrochloric  acid 
gas  that  at  68  degrees  Fahr.  a  quart  of  water  will  take  up 
460  quarts  of  this  gas  and  the  original  amount  of  water 
will  only  be  increased  about  one-third  during  the  opera¬ 
tion.  Water  at  32  degrees  will  not  take  up  any  acid  with¬ 
out  showing  it  on  the  hydrometer  scale,  but  at  59  degrees 
100  parts  will  take  up  one-tenth  of  one  part  of  acid  without 
showing  it  on  the  scale.  At  10  degrees  Baume  there  will 
be  14  or  15  parts  of  gaseous  acid  in  the  water;  at  20  de¬ 
grees  there  will  be  30  to  32  parts,  and  at  25,  from  40  to 
42  parts,  all  depending  upon  the  temperature  of  the  water. 

A  Home=Made  Hydrometer. 

The  tinsmith  jnay  easily  make  a  home-made  instrument 
for  testing  acids.  All  he  needs  to  do  is  to  purchase  from 
the  nearest  drug  store  two  test  tubes,  for  five  or  six  cents 
each,  one  large  enough  to  contain  the  other,  as  shown  by 
Fig.  12.  The  large  tube  should  be  supported  in  an  up¬ 
right  position.  It  may  be  placed  in  a  hole  bored  in  a  block 
of  wood,  as  shown  in  Fig.  12,  or  the  tinsmith  may,  at  his 
leisure,  make  a  metal  stand  for  supporting  the  instiument. 

The  smaller  tube,  A,  should  be  loaded  at  the  bottom,  as 
shown  at  D,  in  such  a  manner  that  it  will  stand  upright 


52 


SOLDERING  AND  BRAZING. 


when  placed  in  water.  The  load  may  be  of  shot,  pieces 
of  solder  or  any  convenient  material.  After  the  proper 
amount  has  been  placed  in  the  tube,  which  amount  can  be 


Fig.  12. — A  Home-Made  Hydrometer. 

determined  by  filling  in  until  the  tube  will  stand  upright 
in  the  water,  fix  the  loading  by  means  of  calcined  plaster. 
Next,  fit  a  cork  to  the  top  of  the  tube,  as  shown  at  A,  and 
seal  up  by  melting  resin  over  the  top  of  the  cork  with  a 
hot  soldering  copper. 


SOLDERING  FLUIDS. 


53 


Fill  the  large  tube  R  with  as  pure  water  as  can  be  ob¬ 
tained;  fresh  rain  water  will  answer  very  well.  Make  a 
mark  on  tube  A  with  a  file,  level  with  the  surface  of  the 
water  in  tube  B.  The  mark  is  shown  at  E.  Whenever 
this  instrument  is  placed  in  a  substance  as  heavy  as  water 
and  allowed  to  float,  the  liquid  will  always  come  even  with 
mark  E.  When  placed  in  a  heavier  than  water  liquid, 
mark  E  will  be  above  the  level  and  when  placed  in  a 
liquid  lighter  than  water  mark  E  will  be  below  the  surface. 

Calibrating  the  Hydrometer. 

When  acid  is  obtained,  test  it  out  by  putting  a  portion 
of  it  in  test  tube  B  and  note  the  level  to  which  tube  A 
sinks  in  the  liquid.  A  number  of  marks  may  be  scratched 
on  tube  A,  equally  distant  from  each  other,  as  shown 
above  and  below  E.  These  marks  may  be  made  any  con¬ 
venient  distance,  say  one-sixteenth  inch  apart,  or  the  drug¬ 
gist’s  hydrometer  can  be  borrowed  long  enough  to  cali¬ 
brate  the  newly  constructed  instrument.  Whenever  acid 
is  tested,  note  to  what  degree  mark  E  rises.  Acid  being 
heavier  than  water,  E  will  be  above  the  liquid.  When 
more  water  is  added  to  the  acid,  mark  E  will  go  down 
orrespondingly. 


Selecting  Acid  by  Hydrometer  Test. 

As  stated  before,  water  containing  ioo  parts  of  gaseous 
acid  should  show  25  degrees  on  the  Baume  scale.  If  the 
home-made  hydrometer  is  graduated  to  a  store  instru¬ 
ment  it  will  be  just  as  easily  read  as  the  d™gpts,  but 
the  temperature  of  the  acid  must  be  noted  When  mak¬ 
ing  tests  for  an  acid  showing  7  degrees  on  the  hydrometer, 
it  contains  9-9  parts  acid  at  32  degrees  F.  and  10.4  parts 
acid  at  59  degrees.  Simply  note  the  number  of  degrees  of 


54 


SOLDERING  AND  BRAZING. 


a  good  working  acid  and  when  purchasing  a  supply  of  that 
fluid  accept,  reject  and  pay  according  to  the  strength 
shown  by  the  home-made  hydrometer.  It  may  be  added 
that  this  instrument  should  be  kept  clean  at  all  times  and 
it  is  well  to  keep  it  in  test  tube  B,  which  may  be  filled  with 
water  and  tube  A  placed  in  it  when  not  in  use. 

Making  Soldering  Compounds. 

When  making  up  soldering  compounds,  means  should 
be  provided  for  pulverizing  certain  of  the  ingredients  and 
pulverizing  should  be  as  thorough  as  possible.  A  com¬ 
pound  which  contains  chunks  of  resin  or  salammoniac  is 
not  desirable.  Either  mix  them  thoroughly  by  grinding 
or  else  dissolve  them  in  suitable  liquids,  then  mix  together 
thoroughly  and  drive  off  the  liquid  by  evaporating  or  dis¬ 
tilling. 

It  may  seem  like  quite  a  problem  for  a  tinner  to  com¬ 
bine  ten  pounds  of  resin  writh  a  pound  of  salammoniac 
and  as  much  more  zinc  oxide  without  having  the  mixture 
full  of  lumps.  This  may  be  done,  however,  and  there  arc 
several  ways  of  doing  it.  The  resin  may  be  pounded  and 
sifted  through  a  piece  of  muslin  or  other  thin  cloth.  1  he 
best  way  of  doing  this  is  to  place  the  resin  in  a  mortar  or 
iron  pot.  pound  with  a  wooden  pestle  or  maul  until  there 
is  considerable  fine  material  in  the  resin.  Then  place  over 
a  sieve  of  about  one-sixteenth  inch  mesh  and  what  goes 
through  may  be  shaken  on  a  finer  sieve.  The  coarse  sieve 
is  to  prevent  loading  the  fine  muslin  with  coarse  particles. 

Pulverizing  by  Chemical  Methods. 

All  the  resin  rejected  by  the  sieve  must  go  back  and  be 
pounded  again,  so  continuing  until  a  sufficient  quantity  has 
been  passed  through  the  muslin.  Proceed  in  the  same 
manner  with  the  salammoniac.  In  some  cases  it  pays  to 


SOLDERING  FLUIDS. 


55 


work  them  together.  The  tinner  must  determine  this  for 
himself.  If  he  desires  to  experiment  a  little,  he  can  try 
chemical  means  of  pulverizing.  By  dissolving  resin  in 
gasoline  or  wood  alcohol  he  can  reduce  it  to  particles  finer 
than  can  be  separated  with  any  sieve.  Salammoniac  may 
be  reduced  in  a  similar  manner  with  water. 

These  two  solutions  may  be  combined,  thoroughly  mixed 
and  emulsified  by  means  of  a  third  substance,  which  will 
cause  the  two  to  unite.  Soda  will  do  this,  common  bicar¬ 
bonate  or  cooking  soda.  The  tinner  may  find  other  sub¬ 
stances  which  will  do  the  emulsifying  and,  at  the  same 
time,  add  to  the  fluxing  qualities  of  the  compound. 


Resin  Soap. 

The  mixture  of  salammoniac,  resin  and  soda  makes  a 
form  of  soap  which  may  be  dried  and  pulverized  or  used 
moist  in  paste  form.  After  drying,  it  may  be  mixed  with 
oil  anct  used  as  an  oil  paste  which  has  the  advantage  of 
not  drying  out  as  water  paste  will.  The  finished  com¬ 
pound  should  be  stored  in  vessels  which  will  keep  it  free 
from  dirt  and  prevent  waste.  Too  often  the  tinner  is  led 
to  make  up  a  whole  lot  of  soldering  compound  and  then 
_eave  it  exposed  in  a  Ducket  or  keg  for  dirt  to  get  into 
or  for  his  men  to  waste  by  careless  usage.  Put  the  com¬ 
pound  in  small  vessels,  close  them  tightly  and  fasten  on 
the  covers  and  the  compound  will  remain  in  good  conch 
tion  until  needed  for  use.  Never  leave  soldering  com¬ 
pounds  or  fluids  standing  around  in  open  vessels,  except 
those  which  are  actually  in  use  on  the  bench. 

Silver  Soldering. 

Silver  soldering  is  often  termed  hard  soldering  and  the 
two  terms  mean  about  the  same  thing.  The  distinguishing 


50 


SOLDERING  AND  BRAZING. 


or  dividing  line  between  hard  solder  and  soft  solder  may 
be  taken  that  any  solder  which  requires  a  red  heat  to  melt 
it  is  classed  in  the  hard  or  silver  class.  Solders  which 
melt  below  a  red  heat  are  termed  soft. 

Strength  of  Soldered  Joints. 

In  almost  every  instance  a  hard  solder  joint  is  stronger 
than  one  made  from  soft  solder.  The  difference  is  due  to 
the  hardness  of  the  solder  used,  silver  and  copper  alloys, 
of  course,  having  greater  strength  than  those  of  lead  and 
tin.  The  writer  has  not  at  hand  tables  giving  the  strength 
of  various  alloys,  therefore  their  strength  must  be  judged 
by  their  composition,  and  it  goes  without  saying  that  the 
more  copper  and  zinc  contained  in  the  solders,  the 
stronger  they  will  be,  whereas  the  more  tin  is  mixed  in, 
the  softer  will  be  the  alloy,  the  more  readily  fusible  it  will 
be  and  the  less  strength  it  will  give  to  the  soldered  joint. 

Silver  Solders— When  Used. 

The  silver  solders  are  not  used  where  any  other  alloy 
can  be  made  to  answer.  The  solders  made  from  copper, 
zinc  and  tin  are  really  hard  solders  and  should  not  be 
classed  with  the  silver  solders;  there  is  really  no  dividing 
line  between  the  two  unless  indeed  it  be  drawn  between 
solders  containing  silver  and  those  containing  none. 

Solders  for  Gold. 

Taking  the  position  noted  in  the  preceding  paragraph, 
we  may  well  commence  at  the  top  of  the  list  and  tell  about 
hard  gold  solder  as  well  as  the  hard  silver  solders.  Silver 
solders  contain  silver,  copper  and  zinc  or  brass;  the  gold 
solders  contain  gold,  silver,  copper  and  some  of  them  con- 


SOLDERING  FLUIDS. 


57 


tain  zinc.  One  or  two  of  them  contain  neither  silver  nor 
zinc,  being  made  of  gold  and  copper  only.  The  more  gold 
contained  in  silver  solder  the  harder  it  will  be  to  fuse  the 
alloy,  and  the  greater  the  strength  of  the  joint  will  be. 
One  of  the  best  solders  used  is  made  of  gold  four  parts, 
and  silver  one  part.  A  solder  which  fuses  easily  is  made 
of  gold  ten  parts,  silver  three  parts,  and  copper  one  part. 
The  true  silver  solders  vary  greatly  according  to  the  work 
upon  which  they  are  to  be  used. 


Hard  Silver  Solders. 

Hard  silver  solders  are  commonly  divided  into  two 
classes.  The  first  class  is  what  is  known  as  “for  first 
soldering.”  Several  grades  of  solder  are  necessary,  as 
stated,  and  the  following  table  gives  them  in  the  order  of 
their  hardness,  thus  I,  II,  III,  etc.,  in  the  table  devoted  to 
the  hardness  of  solder,  which  decreases  as  the  numbers  in¬ 
crease,  I  being  the  strongest : 

Hard  Silver  Solders  for  First  Soldering. 


I  II  III  IV  V  VI  VII  VIII  IX  X  XI 
Parts. 

Fine  silver  .  42  19  57  6 6.7  66.3,50  n  16  6  9 

Copper  .  1  28.6  23.3  25.7  33.4 . 

Brass  .  3  1  10 .  4  15  76  15-7 

Zinc  .  5  14.3  10  11  -  16.6  1  1  18  35 


Softer  Silver  Solders. 

In  the  manufacture  of  silver  ware  it  is  frequently  neces¬ 
sary  to  solder  parts  together  and  then  perform  other 
soldering  operations  to  unite  additional  parts,  for  which  a 
solder  must  be  used  which  will  melt  without  fusing  the 
first  soldering.  For  this  purpose  soft  silver  solders  are 


58 


SOLDERING  AND  BRAZING. 


used,  known  as  Softer  Hard  Silver  Solder  for  After 
Soldering.  The  following  table  gives  the  ingredients  in 
nine  of  these  solders,  the  first  one  being  the  harder  and 
the  last  one  being  the  softer  and  more  fusible. 

Silver  Solders  for  After  Soldering. 


I  II  III  IV  V  VI  VII  VIII  IX 
Parts. 

Medium  fine  silver . 7  16  16  3.5  2  10.5  68.8  67.1  48.3 

Zinc  .  1  1  11  1  3  8.2  10.5  16. 1 

Copper  . 2.6  3  4.5  2.3  24.4  32.3 


Methods  of  Silver  Soldering. 

Silver  soldering  is  performed  in  almost  ever  instance  b/ 
means  of  the  blow  pipe.  Sometimes  a  modification  is  used 
which  may  be  operated  by  compressed  air  and  in  some 
kinds  of  silver  manufacturing  where  large  soldering  oper¬ 
ations  are  to  be  performed,  gas  furnaces  are  used,  ar¬ 
ranged  almost  exactly  like  the  furnaces  which  will  be  here¬ 
inafter  described  in  the  chapters  on  brazing.  The  descrip¬ 
tions  here  given  will  therefore  be  confined,  almost  entirely, 
to  silver  soldering  with  the  blow  pipe. 

Soldering  with  the  Blow  Pipe. 

Blow  pipe  soldering  may  be  roughly  divided  into  two 
processes,  the  first  of  which  consists  of  placing  finelv 
divided  silver  solder  in  the  form  of  thin  sheets  or  filings, 
between  the  parts  to  be  united.  Apply  heat  until  the  solder 
melts;  the  parts  are  forced  together  by  pressure  from  a 
pair  of  pliers,  tongs  or  a  vise,  until  the  objects  are  brought 
inko  contact  in  the  position  they  are  to  occupy  after  the 
soldering  is  completed. 

The  other  method  is  where  the  objects  are  fitted  and 
fastened  together  by  means  of  iron  wire,  rivets  or  clamps; 


SOLDERING  FLUIDS. 


59 


then  the  fluxes  and  solders  are  applied  to  the  outer  sur¬ 
faces  before  the  soldering  or  heating  operation,  is  com¬ 
menced.  Thus  in  one  method,  the  solder,  in  thin  sheets 
or  filings  is  placed  between  the  parts  to  be  united  which, 
after  heating,  are  pressed  together  and  the  surplus  solder 
squeezed  out,  almost  exactly  as  when  a  glue  joint  .  is 
made.  In  fact  this  operation  may  well  be  called  “gluing 
with  the  blow  pipe.”  The  second  method  of  hard  solder¬ 
ing,  that  of  uniting  the  fitted  and  fastened  parts,  is  almost 
exactly  like  the  methods  of  brazing  which  are  in  com¬ 
mon  use  and  which  will  be  described  elsewhere. 


The  Blow  Pipe. 


A  form  of  mouth  blow  pipe  was  described  and  illus¬ 
trated  by  Fig.  ii  on  page  31,  together  with  the  pecu- 


Pig.  13.— Blow  Pipe  Squeeze  Soldering. 

liarities  and  value  of  the  different  portions  of  a  blow  pipe 


together  are 


60 


SOLDERING  AND  BRAZING. 


The  llux  and  finely  divided  solder  have  been  placed  between 
the  plates  and  the  alcohol  lamp,  B,  has  been  placed  in 
position  so  that  a  jet  of  air  from  blow  pipe  C  will  cause 
the  flame  to  impinge  upon  the  work  to  be  heated.  Of 
course  if  gas  is  used  the  lamp  B  will  be  replaced  by  the 
gas  jet. 

fhe  entire  operation  is  very  simple,  in  this  case  the 
plates  A  being  heated  until  the  solder  between  them  melts; 
the  plates  are  then  squeezed  closely  together  by  pressure 
upon  the  pliers,  after  which  the  pressure  is  maintained  a 
few  seconds  until  the  solder  cools  enough  so  that  the  plates 


Fig.  14. — Blozv  Pipe  Fitted  Joint  Soldering. 

will  not  slide  out  of  place  when  released.  The  work  is 
then  removed  from  the  pliers  and  laid  to  one  side  to  cool. 
It  is  best  to  plunge  the  work  into  water  as  soon  as  the 
solder  melts  and  the  surfaces  have  been  squeezed  together. 

Blow  Pipe,  Fitted  Joint  Soldering. 

Fig.  14  illustrates  the  fitted  joint  method  and  the  plates 
shown  at  D.  It  will  be  noted  that  they  have  been  brought 
into  contact  with  each  other  and  tied  together  by  means 
of  some  fine  iron  wire.  Some  bits  of  solder  may  also  be 
noted  on  the  top  of  the  plates  which  rest  upon  a  piece  of 


SOLDERING  FLUIDS. 


61 


charcoal  E,  and  which  becomes  incandescent,  greatly  has¬ 
tening  the  soldering  operation  by  preventing  air  from  coo¬ 
ing  the  work  while  being  heated  by  the  blow  pipe,  the 
operation  of  which  is  exactly  the  same  as  shown  by 

The  work-on-charcoal  method  shown  by  Fig.  14.  '1S  a 
duplication  of  the  furnace  method  of  soldering  with  the 
gasoline  blow  torch,  described  in  connection  with  Fig.  9 

on  page  26. 

Further  description  of  blow  pipe  soldering  is  unneces¬ 
sary  as  the  tinner  who  has  much  of  this  work  to  do  wil 
be  able  to  take  it  up  readily  from  the  descriptions  above 

given. 


A  Gas  Blow  Pipe. 

The  mouth  blow  pipe  is  suitable  for  very  small  work  but 
where  joints  are  to  be  soft  soldered  by  means  of  the  blow¬ 
pipe,  one  fitted  to  use  gas  and  air  should  be  provided. 
Such  a  device  is  shown  by  Fig.  15  and  consists  o  two 
tubes  which  are  so  brought  together  that  tube  A,  w  ic 
carries  a  supply  of  compressed  air,  passes  inside  of  tube 
B,  which  carries  gas ;  they  unite  in  tube  C,  and,  the  amount 
of  gas  and  air  being  controlled  by  means  of  valves,  one  of 
which  is  placed  in  pipe  A,  another  in  pipe  B 

The  moving  of  these  valves,  by  the  workman  s  finger, 
during  the  soldering  operation,  regulates  to  a  nicety  the 
amount  and  proportion  of  gas  and  air  to  the  extent  that  a 
little  flame,  one-half  inch  long,  or  a  big  flame, 
long  may  be  delivered  from  the  same  blowpipe,  with  no 
change  whatever  except  the  movement  of  the  valves  by 

means  of  the  finger.  „  t-v 

Rubber  tubes  are  attached  to  tubes  A  and 
and  E,  respectively.  Tube  E  is  connected  to  an  ordinary 
gas  burner,  the  tip  being  removed,  or  it  may  be  attac 
to  the  gas  supply  by  means  of  a  special  connection.  W  hen 


SOLDERING  AND  BRAZING. 


02 


no  gas  service  exists  in  the  tinner’s  locality,  he  may  use 
acetylene  gas,  or  he  may  set  up  a  little  gasoline  generator 
and  use  gas  therefrom.  The  whole  supply  may  be  main¬ 
tained  under  slight  pressure  by  means  of  a  blower.  The 
air  pump  and  blacksmith’s  blower  will  supply  air  enough 


Fig.  15. — Air-Gas  Blozu  Pipe. 


to  do  a  fair  job  of  soldering  with  this  form  of  blowpipe. 
It  is  used  almost  exactly  as  the  mouth  blowpipe  described 
above. 


Home=Made  Gasoline  Blow  Pipe. 

As  stated  above,  gasoline  vapor  may  be  used  with  this 
form  of  blow  pipe  when  illuminating  gas  is  not  to  be  had 
A  device  for  using  gasoline  may  be  quite  easily  rigged  up. 
An  air  pump  of  the  bicycle  type  will  answer,  but  of  course 
a  power  pump  is  better.  Procure  a  range  boiler,  as  shown 
by  Fig.  16.  One  of  the  short  boilers  may  be  used,  but  a 
full  size  is  preferable,  as  it  contains  more  air  capacity  and 
need  not  be  pumped  up  nearly  as  often.  Close  all  the  open¬ 
ings  in  this  boiler,  preferably  by  soldering,  but  screw  plugs 


SOLDEKING  FLUIDS. 


63 


may  be  used  if  found  necessary.  The  boiler  is  shown  as 
lying  upon  its  side,  while  the  air  pump  is  connected  at  B. 
It  will  be  better  to  use  a  power  driven  pump,  but  a  foot 
pump  may  be  made  to  do  the  work  if  necessary. 

Connect  pump  to  one  of  the  openings  in  the  boiler  an 
place  check  and  stop  valves  in  the  connecting  pipe,  to  make 
sure  nf  retaining  what  air  is  pumped  in.  These  valves  are 


Fi<*  16. — Gasoline  Blow  Pipe  Arrangement. 

attach  the  gas  supply  tube  of  the  blow  pipe,  shown  at  Fig. 
15.  The  air  tube  of  this  instrument  may  be  supplied  and 
connected  as  described  in  connection  with  Fig.  IS-  Ibis 
blowpipe  is  shown  at  F,  Fig.  16. 

By  attaching  to  the  boiler  two  vertical  tubes,  G  and  H, 
a  very  convenient  arrangement  may  be  made  by  the  use  of 
two  blow  torch  tubes,  I  and  J.  These  torches  are  swiv¬ 
eled,  so  as  to  turn  in  any  direction,  and  they  may  be  light¬ 
ed  up  the  same  as  though  they  were  supplied  with  gas. 
When  turned  so  that  the  flames  meet  at  K  a  very  high 
temperature  will  be  formed,  capable  of  melting  brass  when 
placed  in  the  angle  between  both  flames.  This  is  a  very 


64 


SOLDERING  AND  BRAZING. 


convenient  tool  and  will  be  found  to  pay  for  itself  in  a 
very  short  time. 

By  placing  a  flat  table  on  the  top  of  boiler  A,  and  letting 
pipes  G  and  H  pass  through  the  table  top,  a  very  handy 
soldering  arrangement  will  be  the  result.  By  piling  some 
bricks  between  G  and  H  and  placing  a  handful  of  charcoal 
on  top  of  the  bricks,  torches  I  and  J  may  be  turned  on  and 
ignited,  when  the  whole  arrangement  will  form  a  very  good 
substitute  for  a  smith’s  forge,  as  the  charcoal  lasts. 


CHAPTER  V. 

SOLDERING  OPERATIONS. 

Fluxes  for  Silver  Soldering. 

There  is  no  universal  flux  for  use  by  mechanics  who 
do  silver  soldering,  but  the  one  which  comes  the  closest 
to  being  universal  is,  beyond  doubt,  good,  clean  borax. 
In  fact  borax  is  the  foundation  of  about  all  the  fluxes 
used  in  hard  soldering.  The  following  fluxes  may  be  used 
upon  silver  objects  and  all  that  are  to  be  silver  soldered: 
Mix  one  part  of  borax  with  one  part,  by  weight,  o 
washing  potash.  When  melted  together  and  thoroughly 
mixed,  place  it  to  cool  and  pound  it  into  powder,  and 
apply  some  of  this  flux  to  the  work  before  heating,  lhe 
flux  will  protect  the  surface  of  the  work  from  oxide  and 
it  will  also  reduce  some  of  the  existing  oxide,  provide 
all  conditions  are  right.  This  flux  may  be  moistened 
with  water  and  used  in  the  form  of  a  paste  or  it  may  be 
used  dry  in  a  pulverized  form,  as  found  most  conven- 

Another  good  flux  for  blowpipe  work  is  boracic  acid, 
41^  parts;  common  salt,  35  parts;  ferrocyanide  of  potash 
(yellow  prussiate  of  potash),  20  parts;  resin,  8  parts  and 
carbonate  of  soda,  4  parts.  The  above  mixture  makes  a 
fine  flux,  but  it  will  not  keep  very  well ;  it  should  be  made 
and  used  fresh.  If  an  attempt  be  made  to  keep  the  mix¬ 
ture  any  length  of  time  it  will  be  found  to  gradually  de¬ 
compose,  which  may  be  known  by  its  turning  a  blue  color. 

Another  flux  which  is  good  for  certain  hard  soldering 

65 


GG 


SOLDERING  AND  BRAZING. 


operations  consists  of  flowers  of  sulphur,  one  part,  sal- 
ammoniac,  three  parts,  and  borax,  ten  parts. 

Boracic  Acid  Fluxes. 

A  very  fine  flux  for  almost  all  kinds  of  hard  solder  con¬ 
sists  of  boracic  acid.  This  comes  in  powdered  form  and 
looks  like  cooking  soda.  This  salt  may  also  be  used  for 
brazing  and  will  be  described  in  the  chapters  devoted  to 
that  method  of  joining  copper  and  iron  parts. 

Method  of  Applying  Fluxes  to  Silver  Soldering. 

Fluxes  for  silver  soldering  are  usually  made  in  pow¬ 
dered  form  and  may  be  applied  to  the  work  by  means  of 
a  small  piece  of  metal  shaped  like  a  paddle  or  spatula. 
Some  workmen  use  a  bunch  of  bristles  formed  into  a 
bit  of  tin  for  a  handle.  A  bunch  of  fine  brass  wire  may 
be  held  in  a  scrap  of  tin  in  the  same  way  and  proves  mo>t 
excellent  for  applying  flux.  The  ordinary  mucilage  brush 
is  an  example  of  this  method  of  holding  bristles  in  a  tin 
handle  so  they  may  be  used  as  a  brush. 

When  Flux  Should  Be  Applied. 

The  flux  should  be  applied  as  early  in  the  game  as  pos¬ 
sible.  Where  there  is  a  flat  surface,  put  some  of  the  flux 
upon  it  before  beginning  to  heat  the  object.  When  it  is 
a  cylindrical  article  which  will  not  hold  flux  to  advantage, 
it  must  be  heated  slightly  before  the  flux  is  applied.  When 
hot  enough  to  melt  the  flux,  that  substance  will  adhere 
to  the  work  until  it  melts  and  spreads  itself  over  the  sur¬ 
face  thereof.  Hard  solder  may  be  applied  in  the  same 
way,  but  some  means  must  be  i  sed,  depending  upon  the  in¬ 
genuity  of  the  workman,  to  keep  both  flux  and  solder  in 
contact  with  the  exact  spot  to  be  reached  by  them  after 
they  melt.  More  poor  soldering  and  poor  brazing  is  caused 


SOLDERING  OPERATIONS.  67 

by  poor  application  of  flux  than  by  any  other  means.  If 
flux  does  not  reach  the  parts  to  be  soldered,  it  is  quite 
likely,  in  fact  almost  sure,  that  the  solder  melts  and  runs 
to  some  other  place  than  that  which  requires  soldering. 

But  if  the  flux  be  applied  and  held  upon  the  joint  where 
the  solder  should  go  then  there  will  be  little  trouble  in 
getting  a  good  joint.  Fine  iron  wire  may  be  wound 
around  the  object  to  be  soldered  to  hold  both  the  solder 
and  the  flux.  When  there  is  trouble  in  keeping  hard 
solder  flux  where  it  belongs,  a  little  powdered  resin  may 
be  sprinkled  upon  the  object  and  then  heated.  The  resin 
melts  quickly  and  if  the  hard  solder  flux  be  sprinkled  upon 
the  melted  resin  the  flux  will  adhere  and  probably  give 
no  further  trouble  by  slipping  out  of  place.  The  resin  is 
driven  off  by  heat  before  the  borax  and  other  substances 
in  the  hard  solder  flux  become  melted,  therefore  the  resin 
acts  merely  as  a  cement  to  hold  the  borax  and  hard  solder 
in  place  until  they,  too,  become  sufficiently  heated  to  ad¬ 
here  to  the  work. 

Finishing  a  Hard  Solder  Joint. 

If  a  hard  solder  joint  be  removed  from  the  fire  and 
allowed  to  cool  as  soon  as  the  solder  runs,  there  will  be 
found  many  lumps  and  streaks  of  solder  adhering  to  the 
joint  which  present  an  unsightly  appearance  and  which 
must  be  filed  and  ground  away  in  order  to  finish  the  work 
so  it  will  present  an  acceptable  appearance.  When  the 
joint  is  firmly  held  in  a  temporary  manner  by  means  of 
a  rivet,  a  dovetail  or  by  binding  wire,  the  surplus  hard 
solder  should  be  removed  before  the  joint  cools.  A  little 
piece  of  stiff  wire,  shaped  like  the  household  stove  poker, 
answers  admirably  for  this  purpose;  a  little  piece  of  metal, 
or  an  old  knife  with  a  point,  may  also  be  used. 

As  soon  as  the  hard  solder  runs,  remove  the  work  from 
the  furnace,  cut  off  the  blow  pipe  flame  and  immediately 


G8 


SOLDERING  AND  BRAZING. 


proceed  to  scrape  the  joint  with  the  piece  of  metal  in  ques¬ 
tion.  This  must  be  quickly  done  as  the  hard  solder  cools 
very  fast.  It  may  be  necessary  to  continue  the  heat  for 
several  seconds  while  the  first  of  the  scraping  is  being 
done,  but  hard  solder  cannot  be  scraped  off  readily  when 
it  is  in  an  exceedingly  fluid  condition  when  it  first  melts 
and  runs  into  the  joint.  There  is  a  time  after  the  hard 
solder  begins  to  cool  when  it  is  paste  like  and  behaves 
much  like  solder  used  in  a  wiped  joint.  This  is  the  in¬ 
stant  when  the  cleaning  should  be  done,  and  by  the  dex¬ 
terous  use  of  the  scraper,  which  is  described  above,  nearly 
every  particle  of  surplus  solder  may  be  removed  from  the 
work,  leaving  it  smooth  and  clean  and  requiring  only 
slight  sand-papering  or  brushing  to  fit  it  for  the  customer. 

Proving  the  Work. 

Concluding  the  discussion  in  our  last  chapter,  it 
is  always  well  to  prove  a  soldered  joint,  especially 
when  there  is  any  doubt  that  the  joint  may  not  be  per¬ 
fect.  In  original  soldering,  during  manufacturing  opera¬ 
tions,  there  is  little  necessity  for  proving  joints,  but  in 
repair  work  they  should  always  be  tested.  This  may  be 
done  by  slight  bending  of  the  joints  or  by  jarring  it  by 
means  of  a  small  hammer.  If  it  be  small  work,  pressure 
bj  the  fingers,  tending  to  break  the  joint,  will  be  suffi¬ 
cient.  If  there  be  a  weakness  in  the  soldered  joint,  it  will 
usually  develop  itself  under  this  treatment  so  as  to  be 
readily  detected.  Such  defects  are  usually  caused  by  the 
surface  of  one  or  both  of  the  parts  to  be  united  not  hav¬ 
ing  been  properly  cleaned.  Perhaps  the  oxide  was  not 
sufficiently  removed  and  the  hard  solder,  instead  of  unit¬ 
ing  perfectly,  with  both  bodies,  simply  attached  itself  to 
one  of  them  and  flowed  over  the  other,  presenting  the 
appearance  of  a  good  joint,  while  in  fact  it  was  very  poor 
indeed  and  would  come  apart  at  the  slightest  jar  or  strain. 


SOLDERING  OPERATIONS. 


69 


Using  Soldering  Coppers. 

The  actual  operation  of  soldering  is  one  of  the  simplest 
things  imaginable ;  in  fact  it  is  simplicity  itself,  but,  like 
many  other  mechanical  operations,  it  is  not  in  itself  a 
single  great  thing,  but  it  is  made  up  of  ver  many  small 
things  and  the  neglect  of  these  may  seriously  impair  the 
value  of  the  operation.  While  the  omission  of  a  single 
detail  may  not  injure  the  work,  to  any  extent,  neglect  to 
carry  out  several  of  the  details  will  be  very  noticeable  in 
the  condition  and  appearance  of  the  work. 


About  the  first  thing  in  performing  a  plain,  soldering 
operation,  after  the  application  of  the  flux  to  the  pre¬ 
pared  joint,  is  to  take  up  some  solder  with  the  coppei. 
Fig.  17  illustrates  the  usual  method  of  taking  solder.  A 
stick  of  “half  and  half”  is  placed  so  that  one  end  is  rest¬ 
ing  on  a  bit  of  wood,  a  cold  chisel  or  some  similar  object 
and  the  heated  copper  is  pressed  down  upon  the  solder,  as 
shown.  A  small  globule  of  the  solder  is  melted  and  ad¬ 
heres  to  and  is  taken  up  by  the  copper  when  it  is  removed. 
When  a  copper  will  not  take  up  solder  readily  it  is  a  sure 
indication  that  the  copper  needs  tinning. 

To  perform  the  simple  operation  of  soldering  two  flat 
pieces  together,  lay  one  upon  the  other,  as  shown  by  Fig. 
18.  Dust  a  little  powdered  borax  or  soldering  compound 


70 


SOLDERING  AND  BRAZING. 


upon  the  joint  as  shown  at  A,  then  press  the  joint  to¬ 
gether  with  an  awl  or  the  tang  of  a  file,  as  illustrated  at 
B.  This  tool  may  be  held  by  the  left  hand  while  the 
copper  is  manipulated  with  the  right.  If  the  pieces  of  tin 
lie  perfectly  smooth  and  flat,  the  awl  B  may  not  be  re¬ 
quired,  but  in  nine  cases  out  of  ten  it  will  be  found 
necessary. 

Next  take  up  a  little  solder,  as  shown  by  Fig.  17,  then 
place  the  copper  on  the  joint,  as  shown  at  C,  Fig.  18,  and 
draw  the  copper  along  the  scam.  The  movement  must  not 
be  any  faster  than  will  allow  the  solder  to  melt  and  spread 


Fig.  18. — Running  a  Plain  Seam. 

itself  along  the  seam.  If  the  copper  be  drawn  too  fast,  the 
seam  will  present  an  uneven  and  bulging  appearance,  while 
if  the  copper  be  moved  too  slowly,  the  solder  will  melt  anti 
spread  itself  over  a  large  area  on  either  side  of  the  joint. 
With  the  work  proper'y  fluxed,  the  solder  will  flow  readily 
and  unite  smoothly  with  both  of  the  edges  to  be  soldered, 
as  shown  at  D.  The  copper  can  be  moved  along  at  a  con¬ 
siderable  rate  of  speed.  Some  simple  seams,  on  long  work, 
have  been  soldered  at  the  rate  of  over  200  linear  feet  per 
minute,  while  other  seams  can  not  be  soldered  faster  than 
one  foot  per  minute. 


SOLDERING  OPERATIONS. 


71 


Speed  of  Soldering. 

The  speed  at  which  seams  can  be  soldered,  “run,”  as  the 
workman  terms  it,  depends  upon  the  weight  of  the  metal 
to  be  united,  the  kind  of  metal  and  the  condition  of  its 
surface.  Heavy  metal  requires  more  time,  for  the  surface 
to  be  soldered  must  be  raised  to  the  temperature  of  melted 
solder,  or  nearly  to  that  point;  therefore,  when  soldering 
very  thin  tin  with  a  heavy  copper,  the  metal  can  be  heated 
quickly  and  the  rate  of  speed  mentioned  in  the  preceding 
paragraph  is  not  impossible. 

On  the  other  hand,  when  soldering  metal  say  16  to  20 
gage,  considerable  time  is  required  for  heat  to  be  trans¬ 


mitted  from  the  copper  to  the  metal,  hence  more  time  is 
necessary  for  soldering  heavy  seams.  The  position  of  the 
copper  also  governs  the  speed  of  soldering  and  is  gov¬ 
erned,  in  turn,  by  the  thickness  of  metal  being  soldered. 
In  Fig.  19,  which  illustrates  this  point,  a  copper  is  shown 
in  three  positions.  In  the  first  it  is  laid  flat  upon  the 
seam,  the  entire  length  of  bevel  from  A  to  B  bearing  flatly 
upon  the  work.  This  gives  a  long  body  of  metal  from 
which  heat  may  be  transmitted  to  the  work.  This  position 
of  the  copper  should  be  used  when  heavy  seams  are  to  be 


72 


SOLDERING  AND  BRAZING. 


run.  Of  course  a  heavy  copper  must  be  used  and  the 
longer  the  bevel,  the  better  and  quicker  will  the  work  be 
performed. 

The  smith  will  see  from  this  the  importance  of  giving 
a  long  bevel  to  the  copper  with  which  he  is  going  to 
run  heavy  seams  and  in  the  light  of  this  knowledge,  the 
enterprising  workman  will  not  be  found  with  short,  stumpy 
bevels  on  his  coppers. 

Where  the  copper  is  laid  flat  from  A  to  B,  it  will  be 
noted  that  there  is  a  film  of  solder  between  the  copper 
and  the  work,  extending  the  length  of  C.  When  thinner 
metal  is  to  be  soldered,  the  workman  will  “raise  his  hand” 
until  only  the  point  of  the  copper  bears  upon  the  work, 
as  shown  at  D.  This  necessarily  shortens  the  film  of 
solder  between  the  copper  and  the  work,  until  it  is  not 
longer  than  shown  at  E. 

The  length  of  film  E.  of  course,  depends  upon  capil¬ 
lary  attraction,  that  property  of  all  fluids,  no  matter  whether 
water  or  metal,  which  causes  it  to  climb  up  the 
side  of  a  small  opening  or  cavity.  Less  heat  can  be 
transmitted  at  the  same  speed  of  movement  of  the  cop¬ 
per  when  only  length  E  of  film  connects  copper  to  work, 
than  when  length  C  makes  a  connection.  At  F,  the 
copper  is  shown  inclined  at  a  still  greater  angle  with  the 
work  and  the  film  of  solder  is  shortened  to  G,  which  is 
about  as  short  as  it  is  possible  to  make  it. 

The  experienced  tinner  makes  use  of  this  peculiarity  in 
the  behavior  of  soldering  coppers,  but  he  does  it  almost, 
if  not  quite  unconsciously.  When  he  first  takes  a  copper 
from  the  fire,  he  will  hold  it  a  few  inches  from  his  check, 
in  order  to  judge  the  degree  of  heat  to  which  it  has 
attained. 


SOLDERING  OPERATIONS. 


73 


Judging  Heat  of  a  Copper. 

A  very  little  practice  in  the  direction  noted  above  will 
enable  a  man  to  judge  very  closely  the  degree  of  heat  in 
the  copper  and  he  knows  almost  instinctively  whether 
it  is  hot  enough  to  do  the  work  in  hand  or  whether  it 
should  be  returned  to  the  firepot  for  further  heating. 
As  stated  above,  when  applying  a  freshly  heated  cop¬ 
per  to  the  work  in  hand,  the  tinner  places  it  in  the 
position  shown  at  F,  and  he  does  this  without  thinking 
why  it  is  necessary.  Then  as  the  soldering  proceeds  and  the 
iron  grows  cooler,  he  will  have  it  approximate  the  con¬ 
dition  shown  at  D;  finally,  when  he  returns  the  copper 
to  the  firepot  for  the  reason  that  it  will  not  melt  the 
solder  fast  enough,  he  has  been  using  it  in  the  position 
shown  at  C. 

Soldering  with  the  Corner  of  a  Tool. 

There  is  another  way  in  which  a  smith  varies  the  posi¬ 
tion  of  a  tool  according  to  its  contained  heat,  and  the 


Fig.  20. — Soldering  with  a  Corner  of  the  Copper. 

character  of  the  work  being  done.  Looking  squarely  to¬ 
wards  the  copper  from  the  end  of  the  seam  which  we 
show  at  A,  Fig.  20,  the  copper  will  be  in  the  position  of 
the  one  shown  at  B,  the  flat  bevel  bearing  squarely  upon 


74 


SOLDERING  AND  BRAZING. 


the  lap  of  the  seam  and  the  film  of  the  solder  forming 
a  corner,  as  shown  at  C,  and  extending  also  between 
the  sheets  of  metal  to  a  considerable  distance.  This  posi¬ 
tion  the  tool  usually  takes  when  soldering  light  seams  at 
considerable  speed. 

When  heavy  metals  are  to  be  used,  the  tool  sometimes 
takes  the  position  shown  at  D,  the  corner  of  the  tool 
being  run  along  in  the  angle  made  by  the  end  of  one  plate 
and  the  side  of  another. 

When  the  tool  is  given  this  position,  the  heat  is  confined 
almost  entirely  to  the  angle  in  the  sheets  above  men¬ 
tioned  and  extends  much  less  towards  D  than  when  the 
tool  is  laid  flat  upon  the  surface,  consequently  the  solder¬ 
ing  will  not  be  as  good,  the  joint  will  not  be  as  permanent 
This  form  of  holding  the  tool  should  only  be  resorted  to 
in  repair  work,  in  some  special  jobs  where  the  whole 
requirement  is  to  obtain  a  soldered  joint  under  adverse 
circumstances  and  the  motto  is  “to  get  there  and  get  there 
quick,”  no  matter  whether  the  joint  lasts  a  week  or  a 
month.  For  new  work  and  shop  work  in  particular,  never 
use  this  method  of  applying  a  copper  to  the  seam. 


Soldering  Very  Light  Seams. 

As  stated,  there  are  cases  where  it  may  be  necessary 
to  use  the  corner  of  a  copper.  This  is  especially  true 
on  repair  work  and  where  long  and  very  light  seams  have 
to  be  soldered.  Fig.  21  shows  two  methods  which  may 
be  employed  and  a  corner  of  the  copper  is  used  in  b- >th. 
The  copper  shown  at  A  is  placed  so  that  the  narrow  edge 
of  the  tool  presses  against  the  edge  of  one  of  the  sheets 
to  be  soldered.  It  is  evident  that  in  soldering  joints  with 
a  tool  of  this  kind,  it  must  be  upon  the  surface  only, 
so  to  speak,  and  it  cannot  cause  the  solder  to  run  under 
a  sheet  to  any  great  extent. 


SOLDERING  OPERATIONS. 


75 


The  method  of  soldering,  shown  at  A,  will  work  on 
very  thin  lead  sheets,  also  on  very  thin  tin  sheets,  and 
it  may  also  be  used  on  soldering  Brittania  ware.  As 
only  the  point  of  the  tool  or  one  comer  thereof  can  bear 
upon  the  work  it  is  evident  that  no  great  quantity  of  heat 
can  be  transmitted  to  the  work,  therefore  there  is  little 


Fig.  21. — Soldering  Very  Light  Seams. 


danger  of  melting  holes  in  the  lead  or  tin  which  is  being 
united.  Note  the  manner  in  which  the  solder  at  B  has 
been  shaped  into  a  corner;  it  looks  almost  as  though 
a  piece  of  wax  had  been  melted  and  rubbed  into  the 

angle. 


Soldering  Fusible  Substances. 

In  cases  where  very  fusible  alloys  must  be  united  with 
solder,  the  manner  shown  at  C,  Fig.  21,  may  be  used. 
It  will  be  noted  that  here  the  copper  is  held  at  a  distance 
above  the  work,  which  it  does  not  touch,  the  section  of 
soldered  work  being  as  shown  in  the  series  of  waves  or 
small  hummocks.  The  copper  is  charged  with  solder  m  the 


70 


SOLDERING  AND  BRAZING. 


manner  shown  by  Fig.  17,  then  it  is  touched  to  plate  D, 
and  afterward  immediately  withdrawn  to  the  position 
shown  at  E.  It  is  now  evident  that  all  the  heat  trans¬ 
mitted  from  E  to  D  must  pass  from  one  corner  of  the 
copper  and  through  the  globule  of  melted  solder. 

When  copper  E  can  only  impart  its  heat  to  D, 
through  the  film  or  globule  of  solder  the  joint  may  be 
closed  as  shown,  by  dropping  upon  it  a  succession 
of  drops  of  solder,  as  shown  at  F.  This  makes  a  seam 
which  closely  resembles  one  made  by  a  lead  burner  and 
but  little  heat  is  transmitted  to  plate  D  during  the  opera¬ 
tion.  In  fact  this  method  is  practically  opposite  to  the 
method  shown  by  Fig.  20,  at  B.  A  modification  of  this 
method  may  be  employed  in  soldering  vertical  seams, 
which  will  be  described  later. 


Running  Long  Seams. 

The  tinner  never  solders  a  seam;  he  “runs”  it.  Only 
when  talking  with  an  inexperienced  person  will  he  mention 


soldering.  The  application  of  solder  to  a  long  seam  and 
obtaining  a  smooth,  even  flow  of  the  same  is  simplicity  in 
itself,  to  the  man  who  knows  how.  Fig.  22  shows  how 


SOLDERING  OPERATIONS.  77 

to  do  the  work  properly,  also  how  not  to  do  it.  The 
proper  position  of  the  copper  is  shown  at  A,  with  one 
of  the  bevels  lying  flat  upon  the  seam  as  already  de¬ 
scribed  and  illustrated  by  Fig.  20.  From  B  to  C,  it  will 
be  noted  that  the  seam  is  smooth  and  of  even  width; 
there  is  no  ripple  or  wrinkle  in  it.  In  the  narrow  seam, 
were  it  not  for  the  difference  in  color  between  the  solder 
and  the  plate,  it  would  be  almost  impossible  to  detect  with 
the  eye,  where  the  seam  commences  and  where  it  leaves 
off.  In  the  engraving  it  is  only  possible  to  indicate  the 
edges  of  the  seam  by  means  of  lines.  To  make  a  seam 
which  looks  like  this,  the  copper  must  be  clean  and  well 
tinned  and  hot,  but  not  too  hot.  If  the  film  of  solder 
on  the  copper  is  hot  enough  to  show  colors,  then  it  is 
being  oxidized  very  fast  and  will  soon  burn  off.  A  cop¬ 
per  is  too  hot  when  colors  appear,  as  stated. 

Conditions  Necessary  for  Good  Soldering. 

To  obtain  a  seam  similar  to  that  shown  at  B,  C, 
three  things  are  necessary.  First,  the  condition  of  the 
copper,  as  described  above.  Next,  the  copper  must  be 
moved  along  the  seam  at  a  proper  and  uniform  rate. 
Third,  the  solder  must  be  applied  evenly  and  regularly  to 
the  copper.  When  these  conditions  are  fully  complied 
with,  the  length  of  seam  which  can  be  run  will  be  limited 
only'  by  the  amount  of  heat  contained  in  the  copper  used 
in  melting  solder  into  seam  B,  C.  To  obtain  a  seam 
of  this  description  the  copper  should  be  passed  over  the 
surface  only  once.  A  seam  should  be  commenced,  made  and 
finished,  complete,  during  a  single  passage  of  the  cop¬ 
per  over  its  length. 

Effect  of  a  Cold  Soldering  Copper. 

When  the  copper  begins  to  cool,  the  seam  may  present 
the  appearance  shown  between  C  and  D,  which  closely 


78 


SOLDERING  AND  BRAZING. 


resembles  a  piece  of  torn  up  brick  pavement.  The  begin¬ 
ner  in  soldering  will  have  no  trouble  in  running  such  a 
seam.  It  is  done  by  using  a  copper  which  is  too  cool  and 
pushing  the  copper  back  and  forth  many  times,  each  for¬ 
ward  and  backward  movement  forming  one  of  the  ridges 
shown  in  that  portion  of  the  seam. 

After  a  nice  piece  of  seam  has  been  run,  like  B  and  C. 
and  the  workman  rinds  the  seam  begins  to  take  the  ap¬ 
pearance  of  the  one  between  C  and  D,  he  knows  it  is  time 
to  change  the  copper  or  reheat  the  one  which  he  is  using. 
The  section  of  seam  between  D  and  E,  Fig.  22,  shows  the 
effect  of  the  reheated  copper.  This  section  of  seam  looks 
as  well  as  that  between  B  and  C,  but  no  matter  how  the 
remainder  of  the  seam  may  look,  the  portion  C  and  D  is 
an  eyesore,  and  it  will  be  found  a  very  hard  and  difficult 
operation  to  make  this  portion  of  the  seam  look  like  the 
rest,  hence  the  necessity  for  making  and  finishing  a  seam 
at  one  operation,  that  is,  by  a  single  passage  of  the  solder¬ 
ing  copper. 


Patching  a  Seam. 

But  a  seam  like  that  show  at  C,  D  must  be  patched 
up  in  some  manner  so  as  to  look  half  way  decent,  at  least. 
A  method  of  making  a  smooth  stop  in  a  seam  is  shown  by 
Fig.  23.  This  method  is  useful,  not  only  when  patching  up 
a  seam  like  C,  D,  Fig.  22,  but  also  when  a  smooth  seam 
like  A,  B,  Fig.  23,  has  been  run  to  the  limit  of  the 
heat  contained  in  the  copper.  This  necessitates  a  stop  in 
the  seam  and  the  problem  is  to  connect  on  that  portion  of 
the  seam  run  by  the  reheated  copper  without  forming  a 
bunch  of  herring  bones  like  that  shown  at  B. 

As  stated,  the  disfigurement  at  B  was  made  by  joining  a 
new  portion  of  the  seam  to  one  already  made  and  cool. 
Several  short  movements  of  the  copper  were  made  in  a 
vain  attempt  to  make  it  smooth  and  even.  It  is  safe  to 


SOLDERING  OPERATIONS. 


79 


say  that  the  seam  can  not  be  joined  smoothly  by  any  back 
and  forth  movement  of  a  heated  copper.  The  proper 
manner  in  which  to  make  a  stop  joint  of  this  kind  is 
herewith  described,  and  the  finished  joint  will  present  the 
appearance  shown,  where  B,  C  is  the  old  seam  and  C,  D 
the  new  seam. 

It  will  be  noted  that  at  C  there  is  no  roughness  and  the 
only  thing  discernible  in  the  joint  is  a  slight  difference 
in  the  color,  shown  at  C.  This  stop  joint  is  made  by  plac¬ 
ing  the  hot  copper  flat  and  squarely  upon  the  end  of  the 


Fig.  pj. — Making  a  Smooth  Stop  in  a  Seam. 

seam  then  letting  it  remain  there  without  moving,  in  the 
least,  until  the  whole  portion  of  the  joint  is  thoroughly 
and  completely  melted.  When  this  is  accomplished  and  the 
solder  is  melted  for  the  same  distance  towards  B  and  to¬ 
wards  D,  then  the  copper  can  be  moved  along  in  the  man¬ 
ner  described  for  running  a  seam,  when  it  will  be  almost 
impossible  to  tell  where  the  stop  was  made  except  for  the 
slight  discoloration. 

Applying  Solder. 

It  was  stated  above  that  one  of  the  conditions  for  run¬ 
ning  a  smooth  seam  is  the  even  and  regular  application 
of  solder.  This  is  a  very  important  matter  and  one  which 
the  young  tinner  will  have  trouble  with  before  he  gets 
the  knack  of  it.  A  good  method  of  applying  solder  when 
running  long  seams,  is  shown  by  Fig.  22,  where  A  shows 


so 


SOLDERING  AND  BRAZING. 


the  copper  running  the  seam,  F  a  stick  of  solder,  and  shows 
also  the  manner  of  application  to  copper  A.  The  applica¬ 
tion  should  be  at  short  and  even  intervals  and  the  solder 
must  not  be  left  in  contact  with  the  copper  too  long  at  a 
time,  as  too  much  solder  will  be  melted  and  the  joint  will 
be  found  heavy  and  irregular  in  size,  being  too  large  where 
much  metal  is  run  in  and  too  small  where  the  supply  of 
solder  was  deficient.  The  stick  of  solder,  F,  Fig.  22,  should 
be  held  in  the  left  hand  and  it  should  be  touched  to  the 
soldering  copper  at  frequent  and  regular  intervals. 


CHAPTER  VI. 


DIFFICULT  OPERATIONS  IN  SOLDERING, 

Soldering  a  vertical  seam  is  neither  a  pleasant  nor 
profitable  operation  and  the  tinner  will  not  do  it  from 
choice,  neither  is  he  expected  to  dd  it  except  in  case  of 
absolute  necessity.  Emergency  repairs  furnish  the  only 
possible  excuse  for  soldering  vertical  seams ;  even  then  it 
pays  to  go  to  a  good  deal  of  trouble  and  some  expense,  if 
thereby  soldering  a  vertical  seam  can  be  avoided.  But 
when  it  comes  to  a  showdown  and  a  vertical  seam  must  be 
soldered,  two  courses  are  open  to  the  tinsmith.  He  may 
commence  at  the  bottom  and  manage  to  make  a  bit  of 
solder  stick  to  the  joint,  as  shown  at  A,  Fig.  24.  It  will 
require  quite  a  little  juggling  to  do  this,  but  once  it  is  ac¬ 
complished,  the  hardest  of  the  work  is  done. 

The  next  step  is  merely  to  deposit  another  drop  of  solder 
on  top  of  the  one  shown  at  A,  taking  care  that  the  soldering 
copper  thoroughly  melts  the  upper  surface  of  the  solder 
already  in  place,  also  that  it  heats  the  vertical  surface  .to 
which  the  solder  is  to  be  attached.  This  work  must  be 
done  with  the  point  of  the  tool  and  with  one  corner  of  the 
point,  as  shown  at  A,  Fig.  21  and  when  the  drop  of  solder 
is  deposited  on  top  of  the  preceding  drop,  h«  ating  can  be 
done  as  shown  at  E,  Fig.  21.  It  requires  a  little  time  for 
heat  to  travel  from  the  copper  to  the  work,  when  the 
copper  is  used,  as  shown  at  E. 

Having  deposited  the  second  drop  of  solder,  proceed  to 
heat  another  bit  of  the  seam  immediately  above  the  second 

81 


82 


SOLDERING  AND  BRAZING. 


drop  and  when  solder  from  the  copper  will  adhere  to  the 
heated  portion,  carefully  run  in  another  drop  and  thus  add 
another  section  to  the  soldered  portion  of  the  seam.  Pro¬ 
ceed  in  this  way  and  the  seam  will  eventually  have  the  ap¬ 
pearance  of  several  drops  or  ridges  joined  closely  together, 
as  shown  at  B  of  Fig.  24.  Each  of  the  ridges  indicates 
where  a  drop  of  solder  was  worked  into  place.  Continue 


Fig.  24. — Soldering  a  I  ertical  Scorn. 

in  this  way  along  the  entire  length  of  seam,  taking  care 
that  no  pin  holes  are  left  in  it,  something  which  is  very 
easy  to  do  and  which  proves  most  aggravating  when  it 
comes  to  testing  and  making  the  seam  tight. 

Another  way  of  soldering  a  vertical  seam  is  shown  at  C. 
A  bit  of  cloth  is  folded  into  a  pad  which  is  applied  to  the 
seam,  as  shown.  Into  the  corner  formed  oy  the  cloth  and 


DIFFICULT  SOLDERING  OPERATIONS.  S3 


the  surface  to  be  soldered,  drop  a  globule  of  solder,  as 
shown  at  D.  The  cloth  will  prevent  the  solder  from 
running  out  of  the  seam,  and  it  is  very  easy  to  follow  up 
with  the  cloth  as  fast  as  the  solder  is  worked  upward.  This 
is  an  easy  way  of  soldering  a  vertical  seam,  but  it  is  not  a 
very  scientific  one,  neither  does  it  leave  as  handsome  a 
seam  as  that  shown  at  B.  The  cloth  may  be  made  into  a 
pad  similar  to  that  used  by  plumbers  for  wiping  a  pipe 
joint.  One  of  the  real  pipe  pads  will  be  found  convenient 
and  will  answer  every  purpose.  The  pad  should  be  daubed 
with  tallow  and  the  portions  which  are  likely  to  come  in 
contact  with  the  heated  solder  may  be  sprinkled  with 
powdered  resin. 


Scraping  a  Seam. 

When  doing  some  kinds  of  work,  repair  work  especially, 
the  surface  of  the  metal  must  be  scraped  clean  before 
soldering  can  be  done  with  any  assurance  of  making  a 
good  job.  This  is  necessary  when  the  surface  is  at  all 
rusty  or  when,  as  in  the  case  of  tin  roofs,  a  coat  of  paint 
has  been  applied  and  the  tin  has  rusted  through  the  paint. 
A  tool  for  this  work  is  shown  at  E,  Fig.  25.  For  the  surface 
immediately  adjoining  the  seam  the  flat  or  outside  edge  of 
the  scraper  should  be  used,  as  it  is  necessary  that  the  en¬ 
tire  surface  over  which  the  solder  is  to  be  spread  should  be 
scraped  clean  and  made  free  from  paint  or  oxide. 

A  section  of  perfectly  scraped  surface  is  shown  at  A  and 
B.  At  C  and  D  is  represented  a  portion  of  surface  which 
has  not  been  properly  scraped.  It  will  be  noted  that  the 
scraped  surface  contains  streaks  and  lanes  of  metal  which 
have  not  been  touched  by  the  scraper.  It  will  also  be 
noted,  from  a  close  inspection  of  the  surface  between  C 
and  D,  that  not  only  are  there  streaks  and  lanes  of  un¬ 
scraped  metal,  but  the  portions  which  have  been  scraped 


84 


SOLDERING  AND  BRAZING. 


proved  to  be  filled  with  a  crosswise  section  of  surface 
which  has  not  been  touched.  These  crosswise  parts  are 
shown  between  C  and  D.  They  are  caused  by  chattering 
of  the  scraper.  That  tool,  instead  of  moving  smoothly 
and  evenly  across  the  metal,  jumps  from  one  portion  to 
another,  leaving  minute  ridges,  somewhat  resembling  teeth 
of  a  file.  To  avoid  chattering  and  its  subsequent  results, 
as  above  stated,  the  scraper  should  be  turned  slightly  side- 


wise,  as  represented  at  E,  and  in  that  position  it  should  be 
drawn  along  the  surface  under  considerable  pressure.  It 
is  quite  a  trick  to  use  a  scraper  under  considerable  pres¬ 
sure.  It  is  quite  a  trick  to  use  a  scraper  and  produce  a 
clean,  smooth  surface  without  leaving  any  strips  of  un¬ 
scraped  metal. 


The  Scratch  Brush. 

Sometimes  considerable  help  may  be  given  to  the  scrap¬ 
ing  operation  described  by  the  free  use  of  a  scratch  brush. 
A  tool  of  this  description  is  represented  by  Fig.  26.  The 
tool  consists  of  a  block  of  wood  in  which  are  inserted,  in 
the  manner  usual  to  brushes,  fine  steel  wires  instead  of 


DIFFICULT  SOLDERING  OPERATIONS.  So 


bristles.  Many  varieties  of  wire  are  used  for  the  purpose, 
according  to  the  work  for  which  they  are  intended.  For 
scraping  a  surface  to  be  soldered,  the  tinner  should  pro¬ 
cure  a  brush  about  2  by  3  inches,  with  teeth  projecting 
from  2  to  2 Yz  inches  and  made  of  fine  steel  strips  of  about 
No.  22  gauge  and  one-sixteenth  inch  wide.  A  brush  of 
this  kind,  if  used  with  plenty  of  elbow  grease,  will  brighten 


Fig.  26. — Brass  Wire  Scratch  Brush. 

the  surface  to  be  soldered  very  effectually,  and  in  some 
cases  it  is  advantageous  to  use  a  scraper  in  connection 
with  the  scratch  brush.  Certain  portions  of  the  surface 
may  be  scratched  and  then  scraped  to  remove  certain  parts 
which  the  brush  does  not  seem  to  get  under.  Again,  the 
use  of  the  scraper  may  be  followed  with  a  vigorous  scratch 
brushing,  which  will  clean  out  all  the  chatter  marks. 


Tinning  with  a  Scratch  Brush. 

For  tinning  certain  metals,  cast  iron,  for  instance,  a 
brass  scratch  brush  may  often  be  used  to  advantage.  Af¬ 
ter  the  surface  has  been  cleaned  with  the  scraper  and  a 
steel  wire  scratch  brush  it  may  be  brushed  over  with  sul¬ 
phuric  acid  and  a  brass  wire  scratch  brush  vigorously  ap¬ 
plied  to  the  acid  covered  surface.  Sometimes  it  is  prefer¬ 
able  to  treat  the  surface  with  a  scratch  brush  alone  with- 


S6 


SOLDERING  AND  BRAZING. 


out  the  acid.  In  either  case,  a  thin  deposit  of  metallic 
brass  is  left  upon  the  cast  iron  surface,  which  much  facil¬ 
itates  the  soldering  of  that  metal  with  ordinary  soft 
solder. 


Soldering  Small  Work. 

The  tinner  must  be  prepared  to  do  any  kind  of  work, 
from  soldering  a  couple  of  pins  together  to  soldering  a 
crack  in  the  armor  of  a  warship.  Fig.  27  illustrates  a 


neat  bit  of  work,  a  good  deal  of  which  used  to  be  done, 
but  which  is  not  called  for  now  to  any  extent.  Still  it 
will  serve  the  purpose  of  illustration. 

It  used  to  be  the  rage  for  ladies  to  work  all  kinds  of 
pictures  and  mottoes  on  cardboard  with  silk,  worsted,  etc., 
the  cardboard  having  been  perforated  for  that  purpose. 
It  was  in  the  perforation  of  the  cardboard  that  the  solder¬ 
ing  job,  as  shown  by  Fig.  27,  was  called  for.  To  per¬ 
forate  the  board  a  system  of  hollow  punches  was  used, 


DIFFICULT  SOLDERING  OPERATIONS.  87 


each  punch  being  about  3-64"  in  diameter  and  hollow  at 
that.  These  punches  were  set  in  a  long  row,  which  would 
reach  across  the  widest  cardboard  to  be  perforated.  The 
row  of  punches  moved  up  and  down  by  means  of  a  crank 
and  cross  head.  Pieces  of  the  cardboard  to  be  per¬ 
forated  were  fed  along  underneath  the  punches,  step  by 
step,  from  one  end  to  the  other,  until  every  portion  of  the 
paper  had  passed,  1-16"  at  a  time,  underneath  the  row  of 
vibrating  punches. 

As  long  as  a  punch  came  down  without  striking  any¬ 
thing  but  cardboard,  of  course  no  holes  would  be  made  in 
the  board,  but  if  a  small  piece  of  brass  were  placed  un¬ 
derneath  the  cardboard  in  such  a  way  that  one  of  the 
punches  came  down  upon  it,  then-  a  hole  was  punched.  A 
small  brass  plate,  having  a  length  equal  to  the  length  of 
a  row  of  punches,  was  so  arranged  as  to  have  the  card¬ 
board  clamped  upon  the  top  surface  thereof  and  to  move, 
step  by  step,  underneath  the  punches,  with  the  cardboard. 

Upon  this  plate  were  placed  little  cylinders  of  metal, 
each  about  1-16"  high  and  the  same  in  diameter.  These 
cylinders  were  arranged  so  that  one  of  the  punches  would 
come  down  squarely  upon  the  top  of  each  one.  Thus  if 
the  design  to  be  perforated  in  the  cardboard  were  laid  out 
in  these  little  cylinders  and  then  soldered  to  the  brass 
plate  D,  Fig.  27,  it  is  evident  that  boles  would  be  punched 
in  the  cardboard  corresponding  to  the  cylinders  upon  the 
plate. 

This  was  the  case,  and  the  problem  arose  how  to  at¬ 
tach  the  little  cylinders  to  the  brass  plate  and  attach  them 
evenly.  This  was  finally  done  by  soldering  the  design 
upon  the  brass  plate,  the  little  cylinders  being  put  in  place, 
one  at  a  time  or  a  dozen  at  a  time,  according  as  they 
stood  alone  or  in  rows.  If  a  single  cylinder  was  to  be 
put  in  place,  as  shown  at  A,  its  position  was  first  located, 
then  held  by  the  needle  B,  and  the  soldering  copper 
C  brought  to  bear  upon  plate  D,  while  the  end  of  the  cop- 


ss 


SOLDERING  AND  BRAZING. 


per  bore  against  the  cylinder  A  and  was  held  in  this  posi¬ 
tion  until  both  A  and  D  became  hot  enough  so  that  the 
solder  on  copper  C  diffused  itself  against  A  and  along 
plate  D. 

Then  the  copper  was  removed  and  needle  B  kept  in  posi¬ 
tion  until  the  solder  had  set  upon  A,  when  needle  was  re¬ 
moved  and  a  fine  file  passed  over  the  top  of  cylinder,  which 
was  then  ready  to  work  and  would  cause  holes  to  be 
punched  in  the  cardboard  whenever  the  proper  punch,  in 
its  journey,  came  down  upon  A.  When  a  straight  row  of 
cylinders  was  to  be  soldered,  as  in  the  letters  T,  H,  etc., 
they  should  be  arranged  in  lines  and  held  by  means  of  a 
piece  of  grainer’s  comb.  This  is  a  small  piece  of  thin 
steel,  cut  into  teeth  and  closely  resembling  a  coarse  comb. 
This  example  illustrates  the  minuteness  of  small  soldering 
and  the  care  and  attention  which  it  is  necessary  to  use 
when  doing  small  sections  of  soldering  work. 


Heavy  Soldering. 

In  contrast  with  this  is  the  heavy  soldering  operation 
shown  in  big.  28,  which  represents  some  thick  copper  upon 
a  church  roof,  being  soldered  and  fitted  around  some  of 
the  ornamental  work.  There  is  nothing  delicate  about 
this  job;  instead,  it  is  the  most  massive  one  imaginable, 
i  he  seams  have  to  be  strong  and  heavy,  and  solder  is  con¬ 
sumed  by  the  dozen  pounds  when  doing  a  job  of  this  kind. 
Instead  of  the  light,  delicate  copper,  shown  at  C,  Fig.  27, 
the  job  represented  by  Fig.  28  -equires  the  heaviest  hatchet 
copper  obtainable.  Solder  will  be  consumed  in  large  quan¬ 
tities  and  heating  the  copper  frequently  will  be  found  nec¬ 
essary. 

This  job  is  °cmmenced  at  E,  where  a  pool  of  solder  is 
melted  into  the  angle  between  sheet  F  and  G.  The  copper 
is  held  in  position  as  shown  on  the  drawing,  and  p!ate>  G 


DIFFICULT  SOLDERING  OPERATIONS.  S9 


and  F  are  heated  thereby  until  the  solder  E  melts  and  dif¬ 
fuses  itself  over  the  surface  of  the  plates  in  question.  The 
copper  is  then  moved  along  slowly  and  another  pool  of 
solder  is  flowed  in,  and  this  action  is  continued  indefinitely. 
Unless  the  solder  be  very  carefully  rubbed  against  sheet 


Fig,  28, — Heavy  Soldering. 


G  or  F,  and  unless  the  cleaning  and  fluxing  be  nearly  per¬ 
fect,  the  joint  E  will  not  prove  as  strong  as  desired. 

Soldering  with  the  Blow  Torch. 

In  work  like  that  illustrated  by  Fig.  28,  the  blow  torch 
may  often  be  used  to  advantage,  the  heat  thereof  being 
applied  directly  against  E,  also  against  sheets  F  and  G. 
The  handy  soldering  tool,  Fig.  4,  shown  on  page  14, 
chapter  one,  may  be  used  to  distribute  the  solder  along 
the  seam  and  to  touch  the  places  where  the  solder  does 
not  adhere  readily,  or,  better  yet,  a  copper  may  be  used 
as  shown  by  Fig.  28  and  the  blow  torch  also  applied, 
letting  the  blast  play  against  the  solder  as  described,  also 
against  the  copper,  H.  The  blow  torch,  in  connection  with 


90 


SOLDERING  AND  BRAZING. 


the  soldering  copper,  is  exceedingly  useful  for  heavy  solder- 
tng  and  may  be  employed  many  times  to  advantage,  the 
only  disadvantage  being  that  one  needs  three  hands,  one 
for  holding  the  copper,  one  for  the  blow  torch  ar.d  one  for 
soldering. 

Soldering  Heavy  Work  with  a  Light  Copper. 

The  blow  torch  method,  as  described  above,  is  particu¬ 
larly  applicable  to  heavy  work  when  only  a  light  copper  is 
available.  Heat  from  the  torch  will  almost  keep  the  cop¬ 
per  at  working  heat  all  the  time,  and  when  but  one  copper 
is  at  hand  and  work  must  be  rushed  out,  the  blow  torch 
will  be  found  a  useful  addition  to  the  means  of  heating  the- 
copper.  It  is  best  not  to  run  too  large  a  flame  when 
soldering  as  above.  A  small  flame  applied  close  to  the 
point  of  the  soldering  tool  seems  to  do  the  work  bettei 
than  a  large  flame  sent  against  the  body  of  tool. 

Method  of  Tinning  Brass  and  Copper. 

Brass  and  copper  tin  readily  and  the  process  is  an  easy 
one.  It  is  only  necessary  that  the  surfaces  be  clean  and 
covered  with  a  light  flux  of  resin,  oil  or  salammoniac.  Any 
of  the  soldering  fluids  or  soldering  compounds  may  be  used 
for  tinning  these  metals,  but  salammoniac  seems  to  be  the 
natural  flux  for  copper.  It  removes  the  oxide  easily  and  a 
considerable  coat  of  oxide  may  be  removed  with  a  flux  con¬ 
sisting  of  powdered  borax,  powdered  salammoniac  and 
a  little  resin  rubbed  over  the  surface  of  the  copper  by 
means  of  a  heated  soldering  tool. 

It  pays,  however,  to  brighten  the  surface  of  copper  with 
a  scraper,  a  fde,  with  sand  paper  or  emery  cloth  before 
beginning  to  tin.  For  tinning  some  objects,  both  of  brass 
and  copper,  there  is  nothing  better  and  more  convenient 
than  a  tinning  brick,  as  shown  by  Fig.  8,  on  page  21  in 


DIFFICULT  SOLDERING  OPERATIONS.  91 


chapter  two.  Just  place  the  article  in  a  little  puddle  of 
solder  on  the  brick,  rub  it  back  and  forth  vigorously  with 
the  copper  and  in  less  time  than  it  takes  to  tell  it,  the  tin¬ 
ning  will  be  found  complete  and  of  the  first  quality.  Brass 
may  be  tinned  in  the  same  manner  as  copper.  It  takes 
solder  with  even  more  readiness  than  the  first  named 
metal.  Resin  is  the  only  flux  required,  but,  as  stated, 
almost  any  flux  may  be  used  with  brass  as  well  as  with 
copper. 

Tinning  Zinc  Surfaces. 

Zinc  is  the  most  peculiar  metal  and  requires  treatment 
approaching  that  of  cast  iron.  Zinc  can  be  tinned  with 
resin,  with  salammoniac  and  with  several  of  the  compounds 
and  soldering  fluids  described  in  the  preceding  pages.  The 
chloride  of  zinc  solution  may  also  be  used  for  making 
solder  take  hold  of  zinc,  but  nothing  known  to  the  writer 
works  as  rapidly  as  raw  muriatic  acid  and  the  acid  need 
not  to  be  too  strong.  Dilute  with  water  to  a  certain  point, 
as  described  on  page  48*  The  acid  takes  hold  of  the 
zinc  in  a  manner  ■which  permits  hot  solder  to  flow,  as 
one  tinner  aptly  stated  it,  “right  under  the  surface.”  No 
soldering  fluid  known  to  the  writer,  as  stated  before,  acts 
as  readily  with  zinc  as  raw  muriatic  acid.  The  term  “  raw  ” 
is  used  to  distinguish  this  form  of  acid  fiom  cut  acid, 
which  is  the  name  given  by  the  tinner  to  the  chloride  of 
zinc  solution. 

Heating  with  a  Torch  and  Tinning  with  a 

Copper. 

The  several  tinning  operations  described  above  and  below 
may  be  expedited  by  heating  the  work  with  a  blow  torch 
and  tinning  it  with  a  hot  copper,  in  the  usual  manner.  A 
well  heated  article  tins  much  more  readily  than  one  which 


92 


SOLDERING  AND  BRAZING. 


is  cold  or  which  is  only  heated  locally  by  the  soldering 
copper.  Bear  in  mind  that  all  heat  used  in  tinning  comes 
from  the  copper  and  it  will  be  readily  seen  that  the  copper 
must  soon  become  cool  to  a  point  where  it  will  not  melt  the 
solder.  By  heating  with  a  blow  torch,  not  only  is  the  work 
done  quicker,  but  much  better  results  are  obtained  than  is 
possible  when  tinning  with  the  copper  alone. 


Tinning  Iron  and  Steel. 

The  usual  way  of  tinning  iron  and  steel  is  by  treating 
the  surface  with  chloride  of  zinc  and  then  applying  solder 
with  a  hot  copper  in  the  usual  manner.  This  requires  a 
good  deal  of  work  and  on  large  surfaces,  the  operation  is 
rather  costly.  There  is  a  method  of  electro-tinning  which 
is  very  seldom  used,  but  it  may  be  employed  with  good  re¬ 
sults  when  large  surfaces  have  to  be  done.  From  two  to 
three  volts  are  necessary.  Steel  and  iron  should  first  be 
covered  with  copper  before  going  into  the  tinning  bath.  If 
it  is  not  desirable  to  copper  iron  and  steel  articles,  they  are 
first  treated  with  a  bath  composed  of  fused  protochloride 
of  tin,  one  ounce  in  about  thirteen  gallons  of  water,  then 
about  two  pounds  of  ammonia  alum  is  dissolved  in  the 
mixture  and  the  iron  is  boiled  in  this  solution  after  having 
first  been  cleaned  thoroughly  and  rinsed  in  cold  water. 

Steel  and  Iron  Tinning  by  Boiling. 

1  he  bath  is  kept  at  its  working  strength  by  adding  fused 
protochloride  of  tin  as  required.  Iron  and  steel  conies 
from  this  bath  covered  with  a  film  of  tin  which  is  of  a 
dull  white  luster,  but  adheres  so  strongly  that  it  may  be 
polished. 

An  alkali  bath  is  sometimes  used  which  consists  of  4 
quarts  of  water  and  28  ounces  of  tin  salts  dissolved  in  the 
water.  A  precipitate  is  formed  which  requires  potash  lye 


DIFFICULT  SOLDERING  OPERATIONS.  93 


with  a  strength  of  io  degrees  Baume  to  dissolve.  This 
precipitate  is  zinc  hydrate,  and  it  is  dissolved  by  tlie  pot¬ 
ash  lye.  If  desired  an  ounce  or  two  of  potassium  cyanide 
may  be  added,  but  from  3*4  to  4  volts  are  required  with 
this  bath. 


Tinning  by  Contact 

Iron  and  steel  may  be  tinned  in  a  boiling  tin  bath  by 
contact  with  zinc,  pieces  of  which  are  suspended  in  the 
bath  with  the  objects  to  be  tinned.  A  bath  for  this  pur¬ 
pose  consists  of  20  quarts  of  rain  water,  28  drams  of 
fused  protochloride  of  tin  and  7  ounces  each  of  alum  and 
pulverized  tartar.  These  solutions  .must  be  boiling  when 
used. 

One  of  the  best  methods  of  tinning  iron  is  to  make  up 
a  solution  of  chloride  of  tin,  almost  exactly  as  ordinary 
chloride  of  zinc  is  made.  Common  block  tin  may  be 
dissolved  in  hydrochloric  acid,  and  if  a  little  mercury  is 
added  it  may  be  used  for  cold  tinning. 

Another  rule  is  to  use  1  part  of  tin  to  2  of  zinc  and 
6  of  mercury.  The  mercury  and  tin,  when  mixed  to¬ 
gether,  form  a  soft  paste.  The  objects  to  be  tinned  should 
first  be  treated  with  potash  to  get  rid  of  all  greasiness, 
then  moistened  with  hydrochloric  acid.  It  is  better  to 
rub  on  the  acid  with  a  cloth  or  a  brush.  Cotton  or  sim¬ 
ilar  fiber  must  be  used  for  this  purpose.  Acid  will  quick¬ 
ly  eat  up  any  animal  fiber,  either  woolen  or  bristles. 

After  the  hydrochloric  acid  has  been  rubbed  on  apply 
a  little  of  the  tin  paste  described  above  and  rub  it  over 
the  surface  with  the  same  cloth  used  with  the  acid.  The 
amalgam  will  spread  itself  over  the  surface  and  cover  the 
iron  and  steel  articles  completely  with  a  coating  of  tin. 
Steel  surfaces  covered  with  tin  in  the  manner  above  de¬ 
scribed  may  then  be  soldered  as  if  they  were  ordinary  tin 
plate. 


94 


SOLDERING  AND  BRAZING. 


Tinning  Hard  Steel. 

The  articles  to  be  tinned  should  be  placed  in  dilute  sul¬ 
phuric  acid  and  scratch  brushed  or  scrubbed  until  every 
bit  of  scale  lias  been  removed.  Mix  up  a  bath  of  hydro¬ 
chloric  acid,  i  part  in  20  parts  of  water,  and  suspend  the 
articles  in  this  bath  for  a  few  seconds,  then  immerse  the 
object  in  a  bath  of  tin  which  has  barely  melted.  There 
should  not  be  any  more  heat  used  than  is  necessary  to 
make  the  tin  fluid.  If  this  precaution  is  taken  the  melted 
tin  will  not  injure  the  hardness  of  the  steel.  Ordinary 
soft  solder  (half  and  half)  melts  at  466  degrees,  accord¬ 
ing  to  the  table  given  on  page  36.  Pure  tin  is  sup¬ 
posed  to  melt  at  442  degrees,  but  steel  workers  claim  that 
the  first  tinge  of  color  shows  at  460  degrees;  therefore, 
the  tin  bath,  as  it  is  used  for  tinning  hard  steel,  ap¬ 
proaches  dangerously  near  the  tempering  point,  so  that 
there  is  great  likelihood  that  the  hardness  will  be  affected 
when  the  tinning  bath  is  used. 

Ordinary  soft  solder  (half  and  half)  could  be  used  as 
stated,  according  to  Brannt,  but  not  according  to  Kent. 
Brannt  says  this  alloy  melts  at  370  degrees,  while  Kent 
says  it  melts  at  4^6>  or  higher  than  the  discoloring  tem¬ 
perature  of  hardened  steel,  therefore  caution  must  be  used 
in  employing  a  tinning  bath.  By  using  2  parts  tin  and  1 
part  lead,  which  melts  at  360,  according  to  Kent  and  340, 
according  to  Brannt,  the  tinner  will  be  pretty  safe  as  re¬ 
gards  soldering  without  injury  to  the  temper  of  steel 
springs  and  other  hard  objects,  therefore  if  one  uses  a 
bath  of  2  parts  tin  and  1  of  lead  he  can  be  reasonably 
sure  that  the  hardness  of  steel  will  not  be  injured. 

If  the  steel  articles  have  been  oil  tempered  there  will  be 
trouble  unless  strong  soda  or  potash  is  used  for  removing 
the  oil.  If  tempering  has  been  done  in  tallow  there  will 
be  no  trouble,  as  this  substance  does  not  interfere  with  the 


DIFFICULT  SOLDERING  OPERATIONS.  95 


adhesion  of  tin  to  steel,  but  where  fish  oil  and  mineral  oil 
has  been  used  it  must  be  removed  by  alkali  and  the  sur¬ 
face  of  the  steel  put  into  that  condition  known  as  “chem¬ 
ically  clean.” 

Soldering  Blued  Steel. 

Articles  which  have  been  tempered  or  blued  and  show 
a  light  color,  either  straw  or  blue,  cannot  be  tinned  with¬ 
out  first  removing  the  thin  film  of  oxide  which  gives  color 
to  the  hardened  and  tempered  steel.  A  bath  of  dilute 
hydrochloric  acid  is  necessary  to  remove  this  thin  film  of 
oxide;  it  will  require  only  a  few  seconds’  immersion  to  do 
so,  after  which  the  object  should  be  dipped  into  the  lead 
and  tin  bath  while  wet;  place  it  immediately  in  the  melted 
bath,  as  quick  as  it  comes  from  the  acid,  and  the  lead  and 
tin  alloy  will  immediately  coat  the  surface  and  form  an 
excellent  foundation  for  further  soldering. 

Tinning  Rusty  Iron. 

Rusty  iron  or  steel  may  be  tinned  in  about  the  same  man¬ 
ner  as  described  elsewhere  for  clean  iron  and  steel,  with 
the  exception  that  a  preliminary  operation  is  necessary  for 
removing  the  coat  of  oxide  or  rust.  1  his  may  be  done  by 
immersing  the  article  in  a  solution  of  sulphuric  or  hydro¬ 
chloric  acid.  In  many  cases  the  writer  prefers  to  use  me¬ 
chanical  means  for  removing  the  rust  before  placing  in  the 
acid.  For  this  purpose  the  emery  wheel,  the  scraper  and 
the  scratch  brush  may  be  used,  as  thought  necessary.  After 
most  of  the  rust  has  been  chemically  removed  the  metal 
may  be  placed  in  the  acid  solution,  which  will  eat  under 
the  coat  of  rust  to  an  extent  that  renders  it  possible  to  rub 
off  the  coat  of  old  oxide  with  a  brush.  The  action  of  the 
acid  upon  the  metal  is  to  oxidize  the  surface.  If  left  to 
become  dry,  this  coat  of  oxide  will  effectually  prevent 


90 


SOLDERING  AND  BRAZING. 


solder  from  adhering  to  the  metal,  but  if  solder  be  applied 
during  the  acid  oxidizing  process,  the  metal  then  being 
clean  and  free  from  either  rust  or  grease,  the  melted  tin 
and  lead  alloy  will  readily  unite  with  the  surface  of  the 
iron.  Therefore,  to  tin  rusty  cast  iron  or  rusty  iron  of  any 
kind  first  remove  the  rust  and  then  proceed  by  either  proc¬ 
ess,  described  above,  to  coat  the  metal  with  tin  or  solder. 


Tinning  Galvanized  Iron. 

It  is  not  absolutely  necessary  to  tin  galvanized  iron  be¬ 
fore  the  soldering  operation  is  begun,  but  it  must  be  tinned 
before  it  can  be  soldered.  The  tinning  operation  may 
proceed  at  the  same  time  that  the  soldering  is  being  done. 
Chloride  of  zinc  is  not  satisfactory  for  tinning  galvanized 
iron ;  the  best  liquid  to  use  is  raw  hydrochloric  acid,  which 
should  be  applied  just  before  the  copper  is  passed  over  the 
surface.  As  the  hydrochloric  acid  dissolves  the  surface  of 
the  zinc  and  decomposes  it  into  chloride  of  zinc  or  a  solu¬ 
tion  of  soldering  salt,  thus  making  ready  the  surface,  acted 
upon  by  the  zinc,  to  receive  the  solder  at  once. 

Soldering  Galvanized  Iron 

When  galvanized  iron  is  to  be  soldered,  it  should  be  treated 
with  strong  raw  hydrochloric  acid,  as  noted  above,  then 
a  well  tinned  copper,  of  large  size,  should  be  used  and  a 
plentiful  supply  of  solder  should  be  melted  directly  into 
the  acid  which  has  not  evaporated  from  the  surface  to  be 
soldered.  The  copper  should  be  rubbed  many  times  over 
the  parts  to  be  soldered  so  as  to  work  the  solder  well 
down  into  the  surface  of  the  galvanized  metal.  As  one 
tinner  stated  the  matter,  “The  solder  gets  right  down 
through  the  sheet”  when  raw  acid  is  used.  When  chloride 
of  zinc  is  used  the  solder  does  not  go  as  deep  into  the  metal 
as  when  raw  hydrochloric  acid  has  been  applied. 


DIFFICULT  SOLDERING  OPERATIONS.  97 


Fitting  Work  Together. 

When  rusty  iron  or  steel  objects  must  be  soldered  to¬ 
gether  or  any  other  pieces  of  metal  as  well,  they  must  be 
closely  fitted  together  if  a  strong  joint  is  desired.  There¬ 
fore  in  repair  work  where  rusty  objects  are  to  be  joined, 
scrape  them  clean  and  then  hammer  them  closely  to¬ 
gether.  As  stated  elsewhere,  pieces  cannot  be  fitted  so 
close  together  that  melted  solder  will  not  find  its  way  be¬ 
tween  them  and  as  also  stated,  the  less  solder  in  the  joint, 
the  stronger  that  joint  will  be.  Hence  the  closer  together 
the  parts  are  fitted,  the  greater  strength  will  be  possessed 
by  the  joint  after  it  is  soldered. 

Where  there  is  an  appreciable  distance  between  two 
pieces  which  are  to  be  soldered,  it  will  pay  to  fit  in  a  third 
piece  of  metal  between  them  and  make  two  soldered  joints 
instead  of  one.  The  work  will  be  much  stronger,  for  the 
tensile  strength  of  solder  is  quite  low,  and  it  is  much 
easier  stripped  from  the  tin  when  there  is  an  appreciable 
thickness  of  solder  than  when  it  is  very  thin  and  the  ob¬ 
jects  are  in  intimate  contact  with  each  other. 


Soldering  with  Tinfoil. 

In  some  kinds  of  work,  particularly  in  model  work, 
where  brass  objects  of  considerable  thickness  are  to  be 
joined,  tinfoil  is  used  instead  of  solder.  The  surfaces  are 
cleaned  and  made  free  from  grease  with  a  potash  or  a  soda 
solution,  then  treated  with  a  chloride  of  zinc  solution  and 
placed,  one  upon  the  other,  in  the  exact  position  they  are 
to  occupy  when  soldered  with  a  very  thin  sheet  of  tinfoil 
between  them.  The  objects  are  then  heated  and  pressed 
together,  the  tin  unites  with  the  zinc  chloride  and  with  the 
surfaces  to  be  soldered  and  they  are  strongly  united,  pro- 


<J8 


SOLDERING  AND  BRAZING. 


vided  they  have  been  well  fitted  and  pressed  together  suffi¬ 
ciently — so  strong  are  they  and  so  closely  united  that  it  is 
difficult  to  detect  the  fact  that  they  have  been  soldered. 

Sweating  a  Joint. 

A  variation  of  the  tinfoil  method  consists  of  tinning 
both  surfaces  in  the  ordinary  way,  then  pressing  them  to¬ 
gether  and  heating  until  the  solder,  which  is  coated  over 
the  surfaces,  melts  and  flows  out  from  between  them.  The 
pressure  should  be  sufficient  to  squeeze  out  all  the  solder 
possible  and  it  is  very  essential  that  not  a  bit  of  solder 
be  left  between  the  surfaces  and  that  no  dirt  be  in  the 
solder  used  for  making  the  joint.  After  having  been  heated 
and  pressed  together  as  above,  the  objects  are  left  until 
cool,  when  they  will  be  found  united  more  or  less  perfectly, 
according  to  the  skill  with  which  the  sweating  operation 
was  performed. 

Removing  Superfluous  Solder. 

The  operation  described  above  necessarily  causes  a  col¬ 
lection  of  superfluous  solder  on  the  outer  edge  of  the  parts 
which  have  been  united.  It  is  quite  a  task  to  remove  the 
excess  of  solder  after  the  objects  have  become  cool,  but  it 
may  be  wiped  off  readily  while  they  are  still  hot.  For  this 
purpose  a  bit  of  cotton  waste  may  be  used,  or  a  piece  of 
cloth  folded  several  times  makes  a  very  good  wiper.  One 
of  the  best  things  for  this  purpose  is  one  of  the  little  wipe 
pads  used  by  plumbers  when  making  a  wiped  joint. 

In  tinning  brass,  or  even  iron,  superfluous  solder  may 
also  be  removed  from  seams  by  means  of  the  wiping  off 
process  noted  above.  The  “tenderfoot”  on  the  soldering 
range  frequently  gets  too  much  solder  on  the  work,  and 
the  experienced  tinner  sometimes  drops  a  bunch  of  solder 


DIFFICULT  SOLDERING  OPERATIONS.  99 


where  he  does  not  want  it.  In  cases  of  this  kind  just 
put  the  hot  copper  in  the  midst  of  the  bunch  of  superfluous 
solder,  letting  the  copper  remain  there  until  the  solder  is 
well  melted  and  begins  to  spread  itself  over  the  surface. 
Have  a  folded  rag  or  a  pad  in  one  hand,  the  copper  being 
held  in  the  other.  Bring  the  rag  close  to  the  copper,  un¬ 
til  the  solder  spot  is  thoroughly  melted,  then  with  one 
motion  pull  the  copper  out  of  the  way  and  follow  it  close¬ 
ly  with  the  folded  cloth.  Give  a  rotary  motion  of  the  cloth, 
so  as  to  bring  a  fresh  surface  against  the  solder.  As  the 
wiping  proceeds,  every  particle  of  the  solder  may  be 
cleaned  off  the  work  by  a  single  movement  of  the  hand 
in  the  manner  above  described. 

Occasionally  it  may  be  necessary  to  make  two  or  three 
wipes,  but  by  allowing  the  copper-  to  transmit  its  heat  to 
the  bunch  of  solder  for  io  or  20  seconds  an  area  2  inches 
in  diameter  may  be  heated  and  wiped  at  one  operation,  or 
by  giving  the  copper  a  lengthwise  movement  a  longer  and 
narrower  strip  may  be  cleaned  off,  as  above  directed. 


Spirits  of  Salt. 

Occasionally  a  tinner,  particularly  one  of  the  old  school, 
may  be  heard  to  tell  about  soldering  with  “spirits  of  salt.” 
When  hearing  this  dealer  in  would-be  mysteries  thus  set¬ 
ting  forth  his  supposed  superior  knowledge  one  may  smile 
to  himself  because  he  knows  that  the  fellow  really  means 
hydrochloric  acid.  Common  salt  is  chloride  of  sodium 
and  hydrochloric  acid  is  simply  water  which  has  absorbed 
chlorine  gas,  as  noted  previously.  Hydrochloric  acid  may 
be  made  by  the  action  of  sulphuric  acid  on  common  salt. 
The  result  is  a  large  quantity  of  chlorine  in  the  form  of 
gas,  which  may  be  caught  by  water  until  the  latter  be¬ 
comes  saturated.  The  remainder  of  the  salt  is  changed 
into  a  carbonate  instead  of  a  chloride  by  action  of  the 


100 


SOLDERING  AND  BRAZING. 


acid  and  becomes  washing  soda  or  salsoda,  and  by  refine¬ 
ment  bicarbonate  of  soda,  or  cooking  soda,  such  as  is  used 
for  household  purposes. 

The  tinner  sometimes  calls  muriatic  acid  “spirits  of 
salt,”  because  of  the  manner  in  which  it  may  be  obtained, 
as  above  described.  When  he  speaks  of  “killed  spirits  of 
salt”  he  means  hydrochloric  or  muriatic  acid  in  which  has 
been  dissolved  all  the  zinc  it  will  take  up  or  “cut.” 


CHAPTER  VII. 


WIPING  JOINTS. 

Soldering  Lead  Pipe. 

Beyond  all  question,  the  best  and  strongest  joint  for 
lead  pipe  is  that  type  which  is  known  as  a  “wipe  joint.” 
A  description  of  this  joint  will  be  given  on  the  pages  fol¬ 
lowing,  but  the  tinner  is  not  supposed  to  know  anything 
about  that  kind  of  work.  When  the  tinner  has  lead  pipe 
to  solder,  he  usually  makes  a  joint  somewhat  as  shown  by 
Fig.  29.  One  of  the  pipes,  A,  for  instance,  has  been 


Fig.  29. — Soldering  Lead  Pipe. 


flanged  outward  sufficiently  to  receive  one  end  of  the 
other  pipe  B,  then  the  corner  or  angle  between  them  at 
C  is  filled  with  solder,  which  has  been  run  in  with  a  hot 
copper  and  made  to  adhere  to  both  pieces  of  the  pipe.  By 
this  method  of  soldering  lead  pipe,  the  problem  becomes 
merely  one  of  heavy  soldering,  as  described  in  the  pre¬ 
ceding  chapters  and  illustrated  by  Fig.  28. 

A  pipe  to  be  soldered  by  this  method  is  first  sawed  off 
squarely  by  means  of  almost  any  kind  of  saw ;  a  common 

101 


102 


SOLDERING  AND  BRAZING. 


hand  saw  answering  the  purpose  very  well.  A  tapered 
plug  is  then  procured,  as  shown  in  Fig.  30,  and  the  small 
end  is  driven  into  one  of  the  pipes  to  be  soldered.  This 
plug  is  not  large  enough  to  expand  the  pipe  as  much  as 
required,  therefore,  after  it  has  been  driven  in  a  short 
distance,  it  is  given  a  rotary  movement  with  the  hand  and 
rolled  around  and  around  just  inside  the  end  of  the 


Fig.  jo. — Pipe  Expanding  Plug. 


pipe,  thereby  acting  like  the  rolling  mill  to  stretch  the 
end  of  the  pipe,  little  by  little,  until  it  has  expanded  to 
the  required  size  and  shape.  When  the  pipe  does  not 
respond  readily  to  the  rolling  operation,  the  tinner  will  tap 
on  the  side  of  the  plug  with  a  mallet,  thereby  hastening 
the  operation. 

In  some  sections  of  the  country,  the  tinner  uses  differ¬ 
ent  shaped  plugs  for  expanding  pipes.  Plugs  shaped 


Fig.  j/. — Parabolic  Expanding  Plug. 

somewhat  similar  to  that  shown  by  Fig.  31  are  to  be  found 
in  use  in  some  localities.  This  plug  is  used  by  simply 


WIPING  JOINTS. 


103 


driving  it  into  the  pipe  the  required  distance.  It  is  a 
much  handier  device  and  does  the  work  quicker,  but  does 
not  last  as  long  as  the  plug  shown  by  Fig.  30. 

A  piece  of  pipe  which  is  not  treated  properly  by  either 
of  these  plugs  will  look  like  A,  Fig.  29.  The  end  of  the 
other  pipe  should  have  nothing  done  to  it  except  that  the 
end  to  be  soldered  should  be  filed  off  as  shown  by  Fig. 
32,  at  E. 

The  bevel  is  made  such  that  when  the  pipe  takes  the 
place  of  the  piece  shown  by  B,  Fig.  29,  it  fits  tightly  into 
pipe  A,  shown  in  that  figure.  This  permits  the  inside  of 
the  pipe  to  remain  smooth  and  straight  without  a  lump 
or  a  cavity  in  it.  Lumps  may  be  made  in  poorly  fitting  pipes 


Fig.  32. — Male  End  of  Pipe  Joint. 

by  some  of  the  solder  leaking  through  into  the  interior 
and  remaining  attached  to  the  joint,  thus  reducing  the 
pipe  area  a  corresponding  amount. 

Pipes  A  and  B,  Fig.  29  may  be  brought  very  close  to¬ 
gether  by  pressing  one  into  the  other,  and  while  the  pres¬ 
sure  is  maintained,  tap  lightly  all  around  pipe  A  with  a 
piece  of  wood  or  a  mallet.  In  this  practice  of  pressing 
the  pieces  of  pipe  into  intimate  contact  with  each  other, 
the  irregularities  are  shaped  down  so  that  they  fit  each 
other,  and  it  only  requires  a  minute  or  two  of  this  work 
to  make  an  almost  perfect  fit  between  two  pipes. 

The  soldering  is  preferably  done  while  the  pipes  are  in  a 
vertical  position,  but  the  tinner  will  be  able  to  solder 
them  in  almost  any  position.  When  they  lie  flat  he  must 
use  one  of  the  methods  described  in  the  preceding  chap- 


104 


SOLDERING  AND  BRAZING. 


ter.  He  will  commence  at  the  bottom  of  the  seam  and 
work  in  the  solder,  holding  it  there  with  the  wipe  pad 
until  he  is  sure  both  surfaces  have  been  heated  sufficiently 
for  the  solder  to  adhere.  A  joint  of  this  kind  may  be 
fluxed  with  common  resin  or  common  tallow  may  be  used, 
which  is  the  flux  usually  employed  on  lead  pipe  when 
joints  are  to  be  wiped. 

Having  made  sure  that  the  bottom  of  a  horizontal  joint 
is  well  soldered,  proceed  a  bit  up  towards  the  top  accord¬ 
ing  to  the  method  described,  until  the  entire  joint  has 
been  closed  in  that  manner.  If  it  is  desired  to  make  a  fine 
appearance  of  the  joint,  the  solder  which  is  in  sight,  as  at 
C,  Fig.  29,  may  be  rubbed  down  smooth  with  a  file  or  a  bit 
of  sand  paper  wrapped  around  a  stick.  When  the  pipe 
stands  vertically,  it  should  be  arranged  with  piece  A  at  the 
bottom.  This  permits  a  fine  appearing  joint  to  be  made 
at  C  with  no  finishing  whatever  except  that  made  by  the 
hot  soldering  copper. 

Imitation  Wipe  Joints  in  Pipe. 

Sometimes  the  tinner  is  required,  particularly  in  making 
repairs,  to  imitate  a  wipe  joint,  in  appearance  at  least. 
This  he  may  do,  using  an  ordinary  soldering  copper  and 
a  rag  or  the  wipe  pad  for  the  purpose.  The  pipe  is  pre¬ 
pared  for  the  operation  precisely  as  described  for  solder¬ 
ing,  as  shown  by  Fig.  29.  One  end  of  the  pipe  is  ex¬ 
panded  and  the  other  end  is  filed  to  fit  inside  of  the 
expanded  portion.  Fig.  33  gives  some  idea  of  a  wipe- 
soldered  pipe  joint  and  the  manner  in  which  it  may  be 
made. 

The  pipes  having  been  put  together  and  hammered 
lightly  until  they  fit  closely  and  fastened  either  by  placing 
bricks  upon  them  or  by  otherwise  holding  securely,  the 
pieces  of  paper  A  and  B  are  wrapped  around  the  pipes  as 
shown  and  fastened  with  paste,  pitch,  oil  or  a  string. 


WIPING  JOINTS. 


105 


These  pieces  of  paper  are  to  prevent  solder  from  adhering 
to  that  portion  of  the  pipe  covered  by  them.  Next  the 
scraper  is  brought  into  play  and  that  portion  of  the  pipe 
between  the  two  pieces  of  paper  is  scraped  clean  and 
bright.  The  tool  marks  made  by  the  scraper  are  shown 
at  C.  That  portion  of  the  pipe  shown  at  D  must  be 
scraped  clean  and  the  scraping  must  be  continued  to  the 
end  of  the  pipe  inside  of  the  joint,  therefore  the  scraping 


must  be  done  before  the  pipes  are  placed  together,  as 
shown. 


Making  Wipe  Joints. 

While  the  tinner  takes  pride  in  running  a  continuous 
seam  without  showing  the  slightest  irregularity  in  width 
or  hight,  free  from  all  lumps,  bunches  and  imperfections 
of  every  kind,  the  supreme  test  of  the  plumber’s  ability  is 
to  be  able  to  wipe  a  joint  in  a  neat  and  expeditious  man¬ 
ner.  Wiping  joints  is  a  very  peculiar  kind  of  soldering, 
and  is  used  principally  on  lead  pipe,  but  it  need  not  be,  by 
any  means,  confined  to  that  metal,  as  it  will  work  equally 
well  with  brass  or  copper.  Even  iron  pipes  may  be  put 
together  with  wipe  joints  if  it  is  found  necessary  or 

desirable  to  do  so. 

A  wipe  joint,  as  ordinarily  known  and  used,  is  the 
uniting  of  two  or  more  pieces  of  pipe  by  means  of  a  thick 
layer  of  lead  and  tin  alloy,  which  is  put  in  place  while 


SOLDERING  AND  BRAZING. 


206 

in  a  plastic  condition  and  finished  by  being  rubbed  back 
and  forth  with  the  cloth  pad  until  solid  enough  to  stay 
in  place  without  being  supported  by  the  wipe  pad. 

Tools  for  Wiping  Joints. 

Different  tools  are  required  for  wiping  joints  than  are 
necessary  for  soldering  ordinary  seams.  The  copper  is 
not  used,  the  heat  being  applied  by  a  stream  of  melted 
metal.  The  tools  required  for  wiping  joints  are  few  and 
simple.  A  melting  pot,  shown  by  Fig.  34,  is  the  principal 
tool.  It  is  a  small  cast  iron  vessel,  which  will  hold  from 


Fig.  34. — Melting  Pot  Used  When  Making  Wipe 

Joints. 

5  to  10  pounds  of  lead.  It  is  usually  heated  over  a  firepot 
in  the  same  way  that  coppers  are  heated.  With  this  tool 
is  used  the  ladle,  Fig.  35,  which  is  a  small  wrought  iron 
or  steel  affair,  having  a  bowl  perhaps  2j4  inches  in  diame¬ 
ter  and  three-quarters  of  an  inch  deep. 

Scraping  a  Pipe  to  be  Wipe  Jointed. 

Pipe  is  prepared  for  a  wipe  joint  almost  exactly  in  the 
manner  shown  by  Fig.  29.  The  scraper  is  used  and  the 
manner  of  its  application  is  illustrated  by  Fig.  36.  Every 


WIPING  JOINTS. 


107 


particle  of  the  outer  coating  of  oxide  is  removed  from  the 
pipe,  and  every  particle  must  be  removed  or  a  perfect  wipe 
joint  cannot  be  made.  The  pipes  are  then  put  together 


Fig-  35- — Ladle  Used  for  Making  Wipe  Joints. 

precisely  as  shown  by  Fig.  33,  except  that  the  female  end 
is  not  expanded  quite  as  much  as  for  the  wipe  soldered 
pipe  joint  or  for  a  straight,  soldered  joint.  It  is  only 
necessary  that  one  of  the  pipe  ends  be  enlarged  sufficiently 
to  contain  the  other  end. 

Having  scraped  the  pipes,  expanded  and  placed  them  to¬ 
gether,  a  piece  of  paper  or  some  blacking  is  put  on  each 
pipe,  as  shown  at  A  and  C,  Fig.  37-  The  object  of  the 
blacking  or  paper  is  to  prevent  the  solder  alloy  from  adher¬ 
ing  to  the  pipe,  except  on  the  portion  B,  which  is  to  be 
covered  by  the  joint.  The  pipes  are  placed  in  the  exact 
position  they  are  to  occupy  when  the  joint  has  been  com¬ 
pleted.  Some  pieces  of  scantling,  or  some  bricks,  F  and 
G  are  laid  on  the  floor,  as  shown,  and  the  pipe  carefully 
assembled  upon  them.  To  keep  the  pipe  in  position,  some 
bricks  D  and  E,  are  placed  as  shown,  thus  holding  the 
pipe  firmly  in  place  upon  the  bricks  or  scantling,  above 
noted.  The  portion  to  be  wiped,  shown  at  B,  is  covered 
with  a  thin  layer  of  tallow,  which  acts  as  a  flux. 


Solder  for  Wiping  Joints. 

The  solder  necessary  for  wiping  joints  depends  upon  the 
melting  point  of  the  metals  to  be  joined.  Lead  melts  at  a 


10S 


SOLDERING  AND  BRAZING. 


temperature  of  626  degrees  Fahrenheit.  The  solder  used 
must  have  a  melting  point  less  than  the  lead  in  order  that 
the  solder  may  be  poured  over  the  joint  to  be  wiped  until 


Fig.  36. — Scraping  Pipe  to  Be  Joined. 

the  surface  of  the  pipe  has  become  heated  to  the  required 
degree.  To  make  up  a  solder  best  adapted  to  making 
wipe  joints,  an  alloy  should  be  selected  which  melts  far 


Fig.  37. — Lead  Pipe  Prepared  for  a  Wipe  Joint. 


enough  below  the  melting  point  of  the  lead  so  as  to  insure 
perfect  safety  against  the  lead  pipe  being  fused  by  the 
solder. 


WIPING  JOINTS. 


109 


Pure  tin  melts  at  about  45s  degrees  and  the  problem  is 
to  select  an  alloy  of  lead  and  tin  which  fuses  considerably 
below  the  melting  points  of  pure  lead  or  tin.  Half  and 
half  solder  should  melt  at  370  degrees.  Two  and  one 
solder — that  is,  two  parts  of  lead  and  one  of  tin,  should 
melt  at  441  degrees.  The  plumber  frequently  makes  up  a 
pot  of  solder,  to  suit  his  fancy,  by  melting  down  a  couple 
of  sticks  of  half  and  half  solder  and  then  adding  about  an 
equal  weight  of  lead  pipe  to  the  melting  pot.  Jhis  gi\es 
an  alloy  with  a  melting  point  which  should  not  prove  in¬ 
jurious  to  pure  lead,  and  the  solder  thus  obtained  may  be 
applied  to  the  prospective  wipe  joint  without  fear  of  melt¬ 
ing  or  otherwise  damaging  the  pipe. 

4 

Heating  a  Pipe  for  Wiping  a  Joint. 

Having  prepared  a  pot  of  wiping  solder,  as  above  de¬ 
scribed,  heat  it  until  barely  melted.  A  very  good  way  to 
determine  the  proper  temperature  at  which  wiping  solder 
should  be  used  is  to  insert  a  clean,  soft  wood  stick  in  the 
solder  and  note  whether  the  alloy  is  hot  enough  to  burn 
or  char  the  outside  of  the  wood.  A  bit  of  white  pine, 
whittled  smooth,  is  best,  but  white  wood  will  answer, 
though  it  is  not  as  satisfactory  as  white  pine.  A  common 
match,  with  the  head  held  in  the  pliers  and  the  opposite 
end  inserted  an  inch  or  so  in  the  hot  metal,  will  tell  the 
story.  If  the  wood  does  not  char  after  being  immersed 
a  second  or  two  the  metal  may  be  regarded  as  being  at 
the  proper  temperature,  and  heating  of  the  joint  may  be 
commenced  preparatory  to  the  wiping  operation. 

Applying  the  Melted  Solder. 

The  beginner  in  joint  wiping  should  bear  in  mind  that 
the  making  of  a  wipe  joint  is  carried  out  in  three  sepa¬ 
rate  and  different  operations.  The  first  is  preparatory, 


110 


SOLDERING  AND  BRAZING. 


and  consists  of  scraping  and  placing  the  work  in  posi¬ 
tion,  as  already  described.  The  next  operation  is  the 
heating  of  the  pipe.  The  pipe  must  be  heated  as  thor¬ 
oughly  as  when  applying  solder  with  a  copper,  but  there 
being  no  copper  used  in  making  wipe  joints,  the  neces¬ 
sary  heat  must  be  applied  by  and  from  the  melted  solder. 

J  ig.  38  shows  the  beginning  of  the  heating  operation. 
The  lamp  black  or  paper  stops,  A.  and  B,  having  been 
applied  at  the  extremities  of  the  proposed  wipe  joints, 


Fig-  3s- — Beginning  a  Wipe  Joint. 


and  the  surface,  C  and  D,  having  been  scraped  and  cov¬ 
ered  with  tallow  immediately  after  they  are  brightened, 
the  pad  E  is  placed  underneath  the  joint.  It  may  be 
held  in  the  hand,  supported  by  a  couple  of  fingers,  which 
are  protected  from  the  hot  metal  by  the  pad  itself.  It 
may  be  better,  safer,  at  any  rate,  for  the  beginner  to 
spread  a  paper  on  the  floor  underneath  the  pipe  and  rot 
try  to  catch  the  heating  solder.  Be  this  as  it  may,  the 
experienced  wiper  will  take  a  small  portion  of  melted 
solder  in  ladle,  F,  and  pour  a  very  small  stream,  as 
shown,  upon  the  pipe  at  G.  The  stream  of  solder  should 
be  the  smallest  that  it  is  possible  to  pour.  Seemingly 


WIPING  JOINTS. 


Ill 


the  stream  of  solder  is  not  larger  than  a  needle;  certain¬ 
ly  it  should  never  be  larger  than  a  match,  and  should  be 
poured  so  slowly  that  while  it  leaves  the  ladle  in  a  con¬ 
tinuous  stream,  it  breaks  up  into  drops  by  the  time  it 
reaches  the  pipe  at  G,  and  falls  in  a  series  of  splashes 
over  the  pipe.  The  workman  will  hold  the  ladle  far 
enough  above  the  pipe  so  that  the  metal  separates  into 
globules  or  drops  as  it  reaches  the  pipe,  but  not  so  high 
that  the  metal  splashes  or  spatters.  In  fact,  the  hot 
metal  must  stay  right  where  it  strikes,  otherwise  there 
will  be  danger  of  burning  the  fingers. 

The  ladle  should  be  moved  around  and  around  until 
the  hot  metal  hits  successively  at  H,  I,  etc. — in  fact,  is 
carried  all  over  the  surface  of  C  and  D,  and  finally  a 
bunch  of  metal  gathers  at  J  and  is  caught  upon  pad  E. 
which  need  not  be  held  close  under  the  pipe,  but  may  be 
at  C.  During  the  heating  operation  the  beginner’s  pad 
may  be  replaced  by  a  piece  of  cloth  or  paper  laid  on  the 
floor. 


Returning  Solder  to  the  Pot. 

After  a  few  seconds’  pouring  of  the  melted  alloy,  a 
considerable  bunch  of  metal  will  have  collected  at  G,  and 
as  the  pouring  continues  and  the  heating  advances  this 
bunch  of  solder  will  slide  off  and  fall  upon  E,  as  shown 
at  j.  This  shows  that  the  heating  operation  is  progress¬ 
ing  satisfactorily,  and  the  stream  of  metal  should  be  at 
once  directed  on  some  other  portion  of  C  and  D  in  or¬ 
der  to  heat  those  portions  also.  The  novice  may  use 
half  a  dozen  ladlefuls  of  metal  in  the  heating  operation, 
but  an  experienced  person  will  not  use  as  much. 

The  accumulation  at  J,  which  falls  upon  the  pad,  may 
be  returned  to  the  melting  pot,  or  if  the  metal  in  F  seems 
too  hot,  some  of  the  metal  caught  at  J  may  be  returned 
directly  to  F,  thereby  reducing  the  temperature  of  the 


112 


SOLDERING  AND  BRAZING. 


hot  metal  to  a  more  satisfactory  point.  As  the  heating 
progresses  a  bunch  of  semifluid  metal  can  be  heaped  up 
on  top  of  the  pipe,  as  shown  at  A,  Fig.  39.  The  pad  B 
is  shown  in  the  position  of  pushing  the  mass  of  solder, 
A,  in  an  upward  direction. 

It  is  evident  that  heat  from  the  mass  of  semifluid 
solder,  A,  will  dispose  itself  lengthwise  along  the  pipe 
until  the  solder  is  so  far  cooled  that  it  will  solidify,  or, 
in  other  words,  it  freezes,  for  that  is  exactly  what  hap¬ 
pens  when  any  alloy  is  cooled  below  its  melting  point. 
I  lie  mechanic  will  watch  this  very  closely  and  move 
solder  A  about  the  pipe  by  means  of  pad  B ;  he  will  no- 


Fig.  Jp.— Heating  the  Joint. 


rice  if  it  begins  to  adhere  to  some  portion  of  the  pipe, 
and  immediately  pour  a  little  more  hot  solder  into  the 
mass  at  the  point  where  it  is  inclined  to  freeze.  In  this 
way  the  workman  is  able  to  keep  the  mass  moving  over 
the  entire  surface  of  the  pipe  which  is  to  be  covered  fav 
the  joint,  and  the  moving  is  continued  until  the  workman 
sees  that  the  solder  adheres  to  each  and  every  portion  of 
the  scraped  surface.  As  in  soldering  with  a  copper,  it 
requires  a  little  rubbing  of  the  surface  to  be  soldered. 
I  he  wiped  joint  is  no  exception  to  this  rule. 

dhe  melted  mass  A  is  rubbed  around  on  the  joint  un¬ 
til  it  adheres  closely  to  every  point  of  the  scraped  and 
tallowed  surface  shown  at  C,  D,  Fig.  38.  If  too  much 
melted  solder  be  applied  the  mass  A,  Fig.  39.  will  be- 


WIPING  JOINTS. 


113 


come  fluid  and  will  slump  off;  in  other  words,  it  will 
slide  off  the  pad  B  and  fall  upon  the  floor,  in  spite  of  all 
the  workman  can  do  to  prevent  it.  Such  accidents  will 
happen  many  times  to  the  inexperienced  plumber;  he 
should  “let  her  slide”  and  devote  all  his  energies  toward 
keeping  the  hot  metal  off  his  fingers  until  he  has  learned 
to  control  the  mass  of  alloy.  After  the  trick  has  once 
been  learned  it  is  surprising  how  easy  it  is  to  keep  half 
a  pound  of  solder  moving  around  a  piece  of  lead  pipe 
with  a  single  wipe  pad.  The  solder  seems  to  stick  of  its 
own  accord,  and,  in  fact,  it  would  be  more  work  to  get 
it  off  the  pipe  than  to  keep  it  in  place.  This  is  because 
the  necessary  “know  how’’  has  been  attained. 

Coating  a  Wipe  Joint. 

Having  gotten  some  of  the  solder  so  that  it  may  be 
wiped  around  and  over  every  portion  of  the  proposed 
joint,  the  workman  lays  the  ladle  one  side  and  takes 
another  pad  in  the  hand  and  proceeds  to  work  the  solder 
over  and  under  and  back  and  forth,  as  shown  by  Fig. 
40.  The  object  of  this  is  to  make  sure  that  the  solder 


Fig.  40. — “Working”  Solder  on  a  Wipe  Joint. 


adheres  perfectly  to  each  and  every  portion  of  the  joint. 
The  edges  of  the  pad  are  brought  close  down  to  the  pipe 
at  the  points  A  and  B,  C  and  D,  and  the  forefinger  and 


114 


SOLDERING  AND  BRAZING. 


little  finger  of  each  hand  are  used  to  hold  the  pad  close¬ 
ly  against  the  pipe,  thus  throwing  the  bulk  of  the  solder 
to  the  center  of  the  joint  at  F,  where  it  belongs. 

By  working  around  and  around  the  pipe  the  workman 
can  readily  see  any  places  where  the  solder  does  not  ad¬ 
here  to  the  lead.  If  a  place  be  found  that  will  not 
coat  itself  over  by  the  back  and  forth  movement,  the 
workman  will  lay  down  one  of  the  pads,  take  the  ladle 
again,  and  work  directly  upon  the  non-adhering  portion 
of  the  pipe  until  it  takes  coating  like  the  rest  of  the 
joint.  Considerable  deftness  of  touch  is  required  to  keep 
the  solder  from  dropping  off  the  bottom  of  the  joint,  but 
this  is  a  knack  which  can  be  acquired  by  practice  alone. 
A  man  may  be  told  a  thousand  times  how  to  do  the  job. 
but  unless  he  gets  right  down  to  actual  practice  he  will 
never  catch  the  little  kinks  and  tricks  which  make  up  the 
wiping  of  a  joint. 


The  Joint  Wiper  Must  be  an  Artist. 

Wiping  a  pipe  joint  is  an  operation  which  requires  con¬ 
siderable  artistic  ability  on  the  part  of  the  workman.  It  is 
impossible  when  making  a  wipe  joint,  to  employ  only 
bull-headed  brute  strength.  Delicacy  of  touch  is  required, 
close  observation  of  the  conditions  of  the  pipe  and  a  nice 
sense  of  proportion  are  also  necessary.  A  man  who  lacks  in 
any  of  these  qualifications  may  surely  wipe  a  joint,  but  a 
bunch  here  and  there,  one  end  heavy  and  the  other  light, 
more  solder  on  one  side  of  the  joint  than  the  other,  will 
certainly  be  the  result.  The  man  who  can  wipe  a  good 
joint  and  have  it  present  a  true  symmetrical  appearance, 
has  the  same  artistic  idea  of  form  which  enables  the 
modeler  in  clay  to  work  out  pleasing  and  perfect  designs. 
The  artistic  instinct  is  the  same  as  that  which  shows  itself 
in  the  work  of  the  man  who  brings  out  graceful  lines  and 
symmetrical  forms  no  matter  whether  he  is  cutting  a  piece 


WIPING  JOINTS. 


115 


of  tin,  framing  up  an  intricate  design  in  a  galvanized  iron 
window  or  ventilation  work,  or  painting  a  picture. 


Finishing  a  Wipe  Joint. 

The  workman  now  puts  his  artistic  talent  into  action 
and  distributes  the  solder  symmetrically  around  the  joint, 
as  shown  by  Fig.  41.  A  single  pad  may  be  used  for  this 
work,  both  forefingers  being  employed  to  press  the  pad 
against  the  ends  of  the  joint  and  the  rest  of  the  fingers 
being  used  to  regulate  the  pressure  along  the  center  of  the 


Fig.  41. — Finishing  a  Wipe  Joint. 


pad.  By  moving  the  pad  in  this  way,  it  acts  as  a  scraper 
and  pushes  before  it  the  bunch  of  undistributed  solder, 
shown  at  A  B.  As  this  solder  is  worked  back  and  forth 
around  the  joint  it  is  distributed,  as  required  and  gives  a 
symmetrical  form  to  the  joint. 

If  it  be  found  that  there  is  too  much  solder  on  the  joint, 
a  portion  of  it  is  removed  with  the  pad,  one  edge  of  which 
is  formed  into  a  scraper  wherewith  the  superfluous  solder 
is  cleanly  removed  from  the  joint.  The  entire  operation  of 
wiping  a  joint  should  not  take  more  than  three  to  five 
minutes  after  it  has  been  prepared  to  receive  the  solder.  It 
must  be  done  quickly  or  the  solder  will  freeze  and  require 
another  application  of  the  hot  metal  from  the  ladle.  But 
this  should  be  avoided,  as  a  patched  joint  can  never  be  as 
good  as  one  made  by  a  single,  clean  operation. 


JIG 


SOLDERING  AND  BRAZING. 


Should  the  beginner  fail  to  get  a  good  joint  upon  the 
first  attempt,  he  is  advised  never  to  try  to  patch  the  joint, 
but  to  apply  some  hot  solder-metal  from  the  ladle  and 
melt  the  solder  off  the  joint  until  it  is  clean  and  in  the 
same  condition  as  at  the  beginning  of  the  operation,  then 
try  again,  with  hopes  of  better  success.  If  too  much 
solder  has  been  applied  it  will  squeeze  out  between  A  and 
B,  Fig.  41  and  finally  take  the  appearance  of  a  crest  or  lip. 
as  shown  at  F,  Fig.  40.  This  is  a  very  annoying  condition, 
bu"  it  results  more  from  inexperience  than  anything  else 
and  it  may  be  remedied  by  continual  practice  at  joint 
wiping. 


When  to  Quit  Wiping  a  Joint. 

When  to  quit  wiping  a  joint  is  a  problem  which  con¬ 
fronts  the  beginner.  If  he  does  not  get  the  joint  done 
quick  enough  the  solder  will  freeze  and  the  pad  will  make 
no  impression  on  it.  If  he  tries  to  shape  the  solder  too 
quickly,  before  it  is  cooled  to  the  right  temperature,  the 
joint  will  slump  and  will  not  stay  in  place;  the  lower 
portions  may  be  bulged  out  or  perhaps  drop  off.  Another 
point  requiring  attention  is  that  if  the  joint  be  wiped  while 
too  cool,  the  surface  will  be  stringy  and  full  of  ridges, 
lines  and  spots  of  loose  solder. 

Poorly  Finished  Wipe  Joint. 

Sometimes  the  workman  persists  in  finishing  a  joint  by 
lengthwise  strokes  of  the  pad,  as  shown  by  Fig.  42.  This 
form  of  finishing  is  a  very  poor  one  and  should  never  be 
tolerated  by  even  an  inexperienced  joint  wiper.  It  is  verv 
easy  to  give  lengthwise  strokes  with  the  pad,  thereby  re¬ 
moving  the  light  crest  or  edge  of  solder,  which  forms 
along  the  joint,  under  the  pad.  The  beginner  should  prac¬ 
tice  on  this  point  until  the  pad  can  be  removed  from  the 


WIPING  JOINTS. 


117 


joint  without  leaving  a  perceptible  mark  av,  the  point  where 
the  pad  left  the  solder.  Fig.  43  shows  the  proper  form  of 
wipe  joint  finishing.  The  faintest  lines  or  marks  may  be 
seen  at  A  and  B,  and  these  lines  mark  a  point  where  the 


Fig.  42. — Poor  Form  of  Wipe  Joint  Finishing. 

pad  finally  left  the  joint  after  the  pressure  thereupon  from 
the  fingers  had  been  reduced  until  the  mere  weight  of  the 
pad  bore  upon  the  solder. 

A  Correctly  Finished  Wipe  Joint. 

The  line  shown  at  A  and  B,  on  Fig.  43,  where  the  joint 
and  the  pad  part  company,  is  so  light  as  to  be  almost  in¬ 
distinguishable.  On  some  joints  it  is  almost  impossible  to 


Fig-  43 • — Correct  Form  of  Wipe  Joint  Finish. 


find  the  lines  in  question.  To  quit  a  joint,  leaving  only  a 
line  of  this  character,  should  be  the  aim  of  every  joint 
wiper,  and  when  he  can  do  this  and  at  the  same  time  leave 
a  smooth  symmetrical  joint  which  will  not  leak,  then  he 
may  truly  be  classed  as  an  extra  good  joint  wiper.  It  will 
require  a  good  deal  of  practice  to  attain  this  ideal,  also,  as 
stated,  considerable  artistic  ability. 


118 


SOLDERING  AND  BRAZING. 


A  man  may  be  able  to  make  a  good  strong  wipe  joint, 
but  which  absolutely  lacks  all  beauty  of  finish.  In  fact,  as 
one  plumber  stated  the  matter,  “the  joint  was  so  blamed 
homely  that  flies  wouldn’t  roost  on  it.”  A  man  who 
makes  a  joint  of  this  kind  should  put  in  his  spare  hours  of 
practice  and  in  the  cultivation  of  form.  A  man  does  not 
want  to  make  wipe  joints  like  unto  the  ox  sled  made  by 
a  farmer,  with  only  an  axe  and  a  saw  for  tools.  He  made 
the  sled  all  right,  and  a  right  good  sled  it  was,  too,  but  it 
looked  so  homely  that  the  fanner  was  unable  to  get  the 
oxen  hitched  to  it  without  backing  them  on.  The  tinner 
who  aspires  to  wipe  joints  should  never  make  them  so 
homely  that  water  refuses  to  run  through. 


Some  Defects  of  Wipe  Joints. 

The  man  who  is  learning  to  wipe  joints  must  use  eternal 
vigilance  in  order  to  construct  a  joint  which  will  stand  the 
wear  and  tear  of  long  service  and  which  will  not  contain 
one  or  more  of  several  defects  to  which  wipe  joints  are 
liable.  Two  of  the  most  common  defects  are  shown  by 
Fig.  44.  It  will  be  noticed  that  a  cavity  exists  at  A,  at 


A 


Fig.  44. — Some  Defects  of  Wife  Joints. 

the  bottom  of  the  joint.  Cavities  of  this  kind  usually 
occur  at  the  bottom,  but  may  occur  at  any  portion  of  the 
joint.  Such  a  cavity  is  caused  by  the  hot  metal  being 
wiped  quickly  from  the  angle  between  the  two  pieces 
of  pipe  and  sufficient  care  is  not  exercised  to  form 


WIPING  JOINTS. 


119 


a  union  between  the  hot  solder  and  the  cold  pipe. 
The  writer  has  seen  joints  where  defects  like  that  at  A 
were  found  around  almost  the  entire  circumference  of  the 
pipe.  The  joint  wiper  was  evidently  doing  contract  work 
and  working  against  time  at  that.  He  simply  gave  the 
joint  a  “lick  and  a  promise”  and  never  tried  to  do  more 
than  to  give  a  presentable  finish  to  the  outside  of  the  joint. 

In  some  parts  of  the  country,  water  corrodes  lead  pipe 
quite  readily,  especially  when  connected  with  the  hot  water 
front  of  a  cooking  range.  Cases  like  A  have  been  found 
where  there  was  only  a  thin  skin  of  solder  over  the  joint, 
and  when  this  corroded  through  there  were  holes  innu¬ 
merable,  where  leakage  could  and  did  take  place.  The 
joint  wiper  should  watch  very  closely  when  starting  a  joint 
to  see  that  the  solder  adheres  to  every  portion  of  the  joint, 


A  Leakage  Defect. 

Another  quite  common  defect  is  shown  at  C.  This  de¬ 
fect  causes  the  trouble  shown  at  B  and  represents  an  oppo¬ 
site  condition  to  that  which  caused  the  trouble  at  A,  which, 
to  a  great  extent,  was  owing  to  solder  being  applied  which 
was  too  cold,  while  the  trouble  at  B  may  have  been  caused 
by  solder  which  was  too  hot.  It  may  also  have  been 
caused  by  poor  fitting  between  the  ends  of  the  pipe  at  C. 
A  combination  of  both  causes  may  have  been  present,  but, 
be  that  as  it  may,  the  hot  solder  found  a  hole  at  C,  and 
the  portion  which  runs  down  and  piles  up  at  B  reduces  the 
pipe  area  greatly,  and  in  some  instances  forms  an  obstruc¬ 
tion  which  will  decrease  the  flow  of  water  to  a  dangerous 
extent.  A  way  to  guard  against  this  defect  is  to  make 
sure  that  the  pipes  are  fitted  together  properly  and  that  the 
solder  is  not  too  hot.  A  remedy  for  the  trouble  shown  at 
A  is  self  evident.  It  only  needs  a  little  care  and  some 
good  workmanship.  There  is  no  excuse  for  either  of  these 


120 


SOLDERING  AND  BRAZING. 


defects  in  joint  wiping  by  an  experienced  wiper,  but  the 
beginner  must  look  out  for  both  of  them. 

Other  Wipe  Joint  Defects. 

The  beginner  in  joint  wiping  must  be  very  careful  that 
the  solder  is  not  too  hot,  or  he  may  melt  a  hole  right 
through  one  section  of  the  pipe,  or  he  may  even  melt  out 
the  entire  joint.  There  is  also  danger  that  the  lead  pipe 
may  be  softened  by  the  too  hot  solder  and  gradually  sink 
down,  almost  closing  the  opening  in  the  pipe.  The  experi¬ 
enced  wiper  should  detect  such  an  occurrence  immediately, 
but  the  novice,  not  knowing  what  to  look  for,  does  not  ob¬ 
serve  the  slight,  horizontal  spreading  of  the  joint  which 
usually  accompanies  the  flattening  down  of  a  joint  in  this 
manner,  therefore  he  may  consider  the  joint  to  be  per¬ 
fect  outside  when  really  the  interior  of  the  pipe  has  been 
closed  as  effectually  as  though  it  contained  a  plug  valve 
or  a  stop  cock. 

When  a  flatted  joint  of  this  kind  is  cut  in  two,  it  much 
resembles  in  appearance  a  piece  of  stovepipe  which  has 
been  run  over  by  an  automobile.  The  wiper  should  watch 
for  any  external  distortion  or  the  pipe  when  applying 
solder.  The  margin  of  safety  between  the  melting  point 
of  solder  and  that  of  the  pipe  is  such  a  few  degrees  to  be¬ 
gin  with,  and  if  solder  be  heated  hotter  than  will  barely 
char  a  white  pine  stick,  then  there  is  danger  that  the  pipe 
may  be  softened  and  cave  in  or  that  a  leak  will  develop 
which  will  fill  the  interior  of  the  pipe  with  solder,  as  shown 
by  Fig.  44.  On  the  other  hand,  the  wiper  must  avoid 
solder  which  is  too  cold,  as  he  is  liable  to  have  “cold 
shuts,  as  shown  at  A,  which  latter  is  almost  sure  to  de¬ 
velop  into  an  aggravating  or  a  dangerous  leak. 


WIPING  JOINTS. 


121 


Wipe  Joint  Precautions. 

In  addition  to  avoiding  the  defects  noted  in  the  preced¬ 
ing  paragraphs,  the  workman  who  is  to  make  a  wipe  joint 
should  observe  several  other  precautions.  The  first  is  to 
see  that  the  work  is  dry.  Moisture  in  or  on  the  pipe  is 
very  apt  to  cause  trouble,  if  it  be  contained  inside  of  the 
joint  where  it  will  come  into  contact  with  hot  solder.  A 
portion  of  water  is  liable  to  be  turned  suddenly  into  steam 
and  to  throw  the  hot  solder  viciously  in  every  direction. 
Severe  burns  are  frequently  caused  by  contact  between  hot 
solder  and  water  in  this  manner. 

If  there  is  the  least  suspicion  that  water  is  present,  pour 
a  little  gasoline  on  the  joint  and  set  it  afire.  It  will  quickly 
burn  out,  and  the  heat  thus  generated  will  drive  off  any 
water  which  may  be  present.  When  drying  the  pipe  with 
gasoline,  care  should  be  taken  that  much  of  the  fluid  does 
not  run  inside  of  the  pipe.  If  this  be  permitted  when  the 
gasoline  is  ignited,  there  may  be  a  small  explosion,  which 
will  be  uncomfortable,  if  not  dangerous.  Such  an  explo¬ 
sion  may  tumble  down  the  joint  which  had  been  assembled 
ready  for  wiping,  therefore  take  great  care  of  this  gasoline 
moisture. 


Hold  the  Work  Solid. 

It  is  the  usual  custom  of  the  joint  wiper  to  place  the 
pipes  together  in  the  position  they  are  to  occupy  when 
soldered  and  hold  them  by  piling  a  few  bricks  on  top,  as 
shown  by  Fig.  37.  This  answers  very  well  in  certain  cases, 
but  where  short  pieces  of  pipe  are  to  be  handled,  there  is 
nothing  which  will  hold  them  in  position  so  well  as  a 
couple  of  “C”  clamps.  These  handy  little  tools  are  made 
of  cast  or  malleable  iron  and  present  an  appearance  some¬ 
thing  like  that  shown  by  Fig.  45. 


122 


SOLDERING  AND  BRAZING. 


Two  or  more  of  these  clamps  applied  to  a  couple  of 
pieces  of  pipe  will  hold  them  securely.  A  small  wooden 
frame  may  be  used  for  attaching  the  pipe  and  the  clamps 
to,  or  an  empty  soap  box  with  a  hole  cut  in  one  side  will 
answer  the  same  purpose.  The  man  who  has  once  used 
clamps  of  this  kind  in  wiping  joints  will  not  return  to  the 
brick  method  when  he  can  get  hold  of  the  clamps. 

While  water  may  not  do  any  damage,  when  present  in  a 
joint,  it  can  never  do  any  good,  and  invariably  will  delay 


the  soldering  operation,  because  heat  enough  must  be  ap¬ 
plied  to  dissipate  the  water  in  the  form  of  steam  or  vapor 
before  the  soldering  can  proceed.  Sometimes,  instead  of 
throwing  the  solder  about,  water  will  simply  cause  the 
joint  to  sputter  and  snap  and  then  dry  out,  permitting  the 
soldering  operation  to  proceed.  It  causes  just  so  much 
delay,  this  burning  out  of  the  water,  and.  as  stated,  is  a 
source  of  danger,  which  may  at  any  time  develop  into  a 
serious  accident.  Therefore,  always  be  sure  that  no  water 
is  present  in  the  joint. 


WIPING  JOINTS. 


123 


Test  Pipe  to  be  Wipe  Jointed. 

It  may  happen  that  pipe  is  placed  upon  the  market 
which  has  a  melting  point  lower  than  that  of  pure  lead. 
It  is  well  for  the  beginner  to  test  out  pipe  by  cutting  off 
a  small  section  of  the  pipe  and  immerse  it  in  a  pot  of 
melted  solder,  at  the  temperature  which  it  is  intended  to 
use  in  wipe  jointing.  If  the  pipe  has  too  low  a  melting 
point  it  will  be  fused  by  the  melted  solder,  and  while 
the  expert  will  be  able  to  wipe  a  low  fusing  pipe  with  a 
higher  fusing  solder,  it  is  a  delicate  operation,  which  may 
prove  troublesome  to  the  novice.  To  be  sure,  the  con¬ 
ditions  are  somewhat  different  in  the  test  than  they  are 
in  actual  practice,  as  in  the  test  the  pipe  is  immersed  in 
the  melted  solder,  while  in  actual  practice  the  hot  solder 
is  poured  upon  the  pipe;  therefore  there  is  more  danger 
Of  melting  the  pipe  when  immersed  than  when  the  solder 
is  poured  upon  the  pipe. 

Still  the  test  of  pipe  is  to  be  depended  upon,  for  the 
reason  that  if  it  will  not  melt  in  the  solder  pot  it  sure¬ 
ly  cannot  melt  when  solder  is  poured  upon  it.  It  may 
be  added  that  the  solder  during  this  test  should  be  care¬ 
fully  tested  with  a  clean  pine  stick,  and  it  should  not  be 
heated  hot  enough  to  char  the  surface  of  this  stick. 
Should  the  solder  prove  to  have  too  high  a  melting  point 
the  workman  must  add  more  tin  to  the  solder;  if  he 
has  some  “fine”  solder  this  will  answer,  otherwise  he 
may  melt  in  “half  and  half,”  but  it  will  require  more  of 
the  “half  and  half”  to  reduce  the  melting  point  of  a  pot 
of  solder  than  it  will  if  “two  and  one”  be  used. 

Flux  for  Wipe  Jointing. 

As  stated,  tallow  is  the  proper  flux  for  lead  to  be  wipe 
jointed.  The  mechanic  should  take  care  to  obtain  a 


124 


SOLDERING  AND  BRAZING. 


good  tallow,  for  this  substance  is  often  adulterated  with 
cottonseed  oil  or  fish  oil,  and  then  does  not  give  good 
results  as  a  flux  for  lead.  The  best  way  to  obtain  good 
tallow  is  to  buy  a  piece  of  suet  from  the  butcher,  put  it 
in  a  porcelain  lined  kettle  with  a  tight  fitting  cover,  and 
place  in  a  kettle  of  water,  where  it  will  be  kept  hot,  for 
several  hours.  If  there  is  a  steam  boiler  in  the  shop, 
just  set  the  tallow  kettle  on  top  of  it,  and  melted  tallow 
will  always  be  ready  for  use  when  needed.  Usually  a 
place  for  the  tallow  kettle  can  be  found  around  the  stove 
which  heats  the  shop,  or  it  can  be  attached  to  a  steam 
radiator;  only  take  care  that  it  does  not  get  afire  and 
that  all  dirt  is  excluded. 

If  dirty  tallow  must  be  used  for  pipe  wiping  flux,  the 
tallow  should  be  strained  through  several  thicknesses  of 
cheese  cloth  or  some  other  thin  fabric  to  remove  the 
dirt.  Do  not  use  resin  on  the  pipe  when  wipe  jointing, 
although  it  is  well  to  place  some  resin  in  the  pot  where 
the  solder  is  melted.  A  little  shop  dirt— that  is,  seep- 
ings  from  the  floor,  with  a  little  powdered  resin  mixed 
with  it,  may  be  kept  on  top  of  the  melting  pot,  and  will 
prevent  oxidizing  of  the  solder.  It  is  necessary,  how¬ 
ever,  when  using  the  solder,  that  the  coat  of  dirt  be 
t  emoved,  or  at  least  that  it  be  poked  back  to  one  side 
°f  ^ie  P°b  so  that  clean  solder  may  be  dipped  out  with 
the  ladle. 


Care  of  Wiping  Pads. 

Some  precautions  should  be  taken  with  the  pads  used  in 
wiping  joints.  They  are  preferably  made  of  bed  tick¬ 
ing,  although  any  thick,  heavy  cloth  may  be  used  and  a 
form  of  asbestos  pad  used  in  the  household  for  holding 
laundry  irons,  may  be  used  to  advantage.  These  pads 
may  be  purchased  for  five  or  ten  cents  at  almost  any 
store,  particularly  at  the  so  called  five  and  ten  cent  stores. 


WIPING  JOINTS. 


125 


These  pads  should  be  well  tallowed,  outside  at  least,  be¬ 
fore  they  are  used  for  wiping  joints.  Take  care,  too, 
that  they  are  thrown  away  before  they  become  too  thin, 
as  hot  solder  has  a  nasty  way  of  getting  uncomfortably 
close  to  the  fingers  when  it  is  used  with  a  thin  pad. 

Ornamenting  Wipe  Joints. 

In  Figs.  38  to  44  the  pipe  is  shown  with  a  section  of 
black  attached  to  each  wipe  joint.  The  man  who  is  wip¬ 
ing  joints  usually  chooses  to  ornament  (?)  the  pipe  with 
a  more  or  less  elaborate  design,  worked  in  black  at  each 
end  of  the  joint.  Personally,  the  writer  does  not  regard 
this  practice  as  adding  to  the  appearance  of  the  pipe.  It 
seems  to  disfigure  more  than  to  ornament,  but  it  forms 
a  handy  method  of  stopping  the  scdder.  The  job  would, 
according  to  the  writer's  fancy,  look  better  if  the  black 
were  removed  with  a  little  benzine  after  the  joint  has 
been  completed.  If  desired,  the  use  of  lamp  black  for 
this  purpose  may  be  avoided;  many  joint  wipers  do  not 
use  black  at  all.  They  simply  wrap  a  piece  of  newspaper 
around  the  pipe,  as  shown  by  Fig.  33,  and  the  paper 
marks  the  end  of  the  wiped  portion  of  the  joint  and  pre¬ 
vents  solder  from  adhering  to  the  pipe,  thus  protected  by 
the  paper. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


SOLDERING  WITH  ELECTRICALLY 
HEATED  TOOLS. 

A  form  of  soldering,  which  has  come  largely  into  use  in 
late  years,  is  known  as  the  electrical  method  and  the  elec¬ 
tric  soldering  tool  has  come  to  stay.  Several  varieties  of 
the  electric  soldering  copper  are  on  the  market.  One  very 
common  form  is  shown  by  Fig.  46.  In  appearance  the  tool 


Fig.  46. — Electric  Soldering  Tool. 


very  much  resembles  the  ordinary  form  of  copper  except 
that  the  handle  or  shank  is  greatly  enlarged,  as  shown  at 
A.  In  ordinary  types  of  electric  soldering  coppers,  the  bit 
B  has  been  cut  down  in  size  for  the  reason  that  there  is 
no  use  for  a  mass  of  copper  to  retain  heat.  One  of  the 
uses  of  the  ordinary  soldering  copper  is  to  convey  and 
impart  heat  to  the  object  to  be  soldered,  therefore  it  is 
necessary  that  considerable  heat  be  stored  in  the  tool, 
hence  for  heavy  work,  a  bulky  copper  is  necessary. 

Electric  Method  of  Heating  a  Soldering  Tool. 

In  the  electrically  heated  tool,  there  is  no  necessity  for  a 
large  amount  of  heat  storing  metal,  for  the  heat  is  applied 

*  126 


ELECTRIC  SOLDERING. 


127 


continually  by  means  of  an  electric  current  and  can  be 
imparted  to  the  bit  as  fast  as  it  is  drawn  therefrom  by  the 
actual  soldering  operation.  The  usual  method  of  applying 
electric  heat  to  the  soldering  tool  is  by  means  of  a  coil  or 
loop  of  some  substance  which  offers  great  resistance  to 
the  electric  current.  An  alloy  of  iron  is  used  for  this  pur¬ 
pose  in  many  coppers  and  is  wound  in  a  small  spiral  upon 
a  non-conducting  center  of  asbestos,  clay  or  similar  sub¬ 
stance,  the  resistance  wires  being  wound  in  a  shallow 
groove  or  thread  on  the  outside  of  the  central  core,  the 
groove  or  thread  serving  to  keep  each  turn  of  the  wire 
from  touching  its  neighbor,  thereby  -  forcing  the  electric 
current  to  pass  around  and  around,  through  every  turn  of 
the  wire  in  the  tool. 

Should  a  coil  become  disarranged  so  that  the  coils  touch 
each  other,  the  current  will  pass  from  one  coil  to  another 
direct  and  the  result  may  be,  aside  from  the  loss  of  heat 
and  power,  the  burning  out  of  the  fuses  in  the  conducting 
wire  and  even  the  wires  may  be  damaged  or  destroyed  by 
the  excess  of  current.  Some  coppers  do  not  use  a  coil  of 
wire  but  the  resistance  wire  is  made  in  the  form  of  a  loop 
somewhat  similar  to,  but  much  smaller  than  the  film  in  an 
ordinary  incandescent  lamp.  The  comparatively  large  size 
of  the  shank  A  is  for  the  purpose  of  containing  the  re¬ 
sistance  coil  or  loop,  the  handle  being  large  enough  that 
the  coil  may  pass  through  it,  wholly  or  partially  into  the 
bit  B. 


One  Cause  of  Trouble. 

One  cause  of  trouble  in  the  electric  soldering  tool  is  due 
to  the  fact  that  metal  expands  greatly  when  heated  and 
the  higher  the  degree  of  temperature,  the  greater  the 
amount  of  expansion.  The  coils  wound  around  the  core 
of  a  soldering  copper  increase  in  diameter  as  heating 
proceeds  and  the  wire  may  be  thrown  out  of  the  groove 


12S 


SOLDERING  AND  BRAZING. 


in  which  it  is  wound  by  a  sudden  shock  like  that  caused 
by  the  tool  falling  on  the  floor  or  its  being  used  as  a 
hammer.  Hence  the  need  of  great  care  in  handling  the  tools 
and  also  of  a  strict  injunction  against  their  being  used  for 
any  purpose  except  that  of  actual  soldering.  These  tools 
should  be  handled  as  carefully  as  though  they  were  made 
of  glass.  More  tools  go  wrong,  are  damaged  or  even 
destroyed,  by  careless  handling,  than  by  the  actual  work 
of  soldering. 

Current  for  Electric  Soldering  Tools. 

Electric  soldering  tools  must  be  purchased  for  the  cur¬ 
rent  which  is  to  be  used  in  them.  A  copper  wound  for 
one  form  of  current  may  not  work  satisfactorily  with  an¬ 
other  form.  These  coppers  may  be  constructed  to  be  used 
upon  a  direct  current  of  500  volts,  and  such  a  tool  would 
not  work  when  attached  to  a  current  of  100  volts,  but  no 
harm  would  be  done  to  the  tool  by  thus  attaching  it.  On 
the  other  hand,  a  soldering  tool  made  to  be  used  on  a 
100  volt  current,  would  be  burned  out  almost  instantly 
were  it  attached  to  a  500  volt  circuit  unless  suitable  re¬ 
sistance  had  first  been  placed  in  series  with  the  electric 
soldering  tool. 


Resistance  in  Series. 

By  the  term  “in  series”  it  is  understood  that  a  suitable 
resistance,  say  an  incandescent  lamp,  be  connected  so  that 
the  current  passes  through  both  the  lamp  and  soldering 
tool,  one  after  the  other.  When  connected  in  multiples  or 
in  parallels,  which  means  the  same  thing,  both  the  tool  and 
the  lamp  should  be  connected  to  the  conducting  wires  like 
the  rungs  of  a  ladder,  so  that  the  current  can  get  through 
both  lamp  and  tool  at  the  same  time.  The  series  con- 


ELECTRIC  SOLDERING. 


129 


struction  is  absolutely  necessary  with  electric  soldering 
tools,  as  the  same  current  which  goes  through  the  lamp 
must  also  go  through  the  tool. 

Resistance  for  Low  Voltage  Soldering  Tools. 

A  long  coil  of  wire  may  be  arranged  as  a  resistance 
whereby  a  low  voltage  soldering  tool  can  be  used  on  high 
voltage  circuits.  In  case  of  necessity,  when  a  low  voltage 
tool  must  be  used  on  a  high  voltage  circuit,  and  no  suitable 
resistance  is  at  hand,  a  water  rheostat  may  be  quickly 
rigged  up  by  the  use  of  two  carbons  or  pieces  of  metal  in 
the  following  manner.  Cut  the  conducting  wire  and  attach 
one  of  these  carbons  or  electrodes,  as  they  should  be 
termed,  to  each  cut  end  of  the  wire.  Immerse  the  elec¬ 
trodes  in  the  vessel  of  water  and  adjust  them  close 
together  or  farther  apart,  as  may  be  found  necessary  to 
give  the  quantity  of  current  required  by  the  soldering  tool. 
Considerable  heat  will  be  evolved  in  the  water  rheostat, 
but  it  is  not  a  very  economical  appliance  as  a  good  deal  of 
energy  is  wasted.  In  fact,  all  the  heat  evolved  is  caused 
by  wasted  power,  but  the  water  rheostat  will  enable  a  low 
voltage  soldering  tool  to  be  used  on  a  high  voltage  circuit. 

A  Common  Form  of  Electric  Soldering  Tool. 

A  common  form  of  electric  soldering  tool  as  shown  in 
Fig.  46  is  from  10  to  18  inches  in  length  and  fitted  with  a 
hollow,  wooden  handle,  through  which  a  piece  of  flexible 
cord  is  run,  connecting  with  wires  or  small  screws,  in  the 
metal  handle.  This  section  of  the  handle  is  shown  at  A 
and  its  use  is  to  contain  the  heat  generating  portion  of  the 
circuit,  as  described  in  the  preceding  paragraphs.  Some¬ 
times  soldering  tools  are  made  with  two  wires  projecting 
from  the  wooden  handle ;  again,  both  wires  are  inclosed  in 
a  knitted  or  woven  fabric  similar  to  that  used  on  telephone 


130 


SOLDERING  AND  BRAZING. 


cords.  This  form  is  the  most  desirable,  as  it  leaves  only 
one  wire  to  take  care  of  during  the  handling  and  using 
operations. 

Connections  for  Electric  Soldering  Tools. 

The  free  ends  of  the  insulated  wires  are  attached  to  a 
plug,  which  may  be  connected  to  an  ordinary  incandescent 
lamp  socket,  in  the  usual  manner  and  the  current  turned 
on  by  turning  a  switch  in  the  socket,  exactly  as  though  an 
incandescent  lamp  were  being  switched  on.  A  form  of 
socket  very  desirable  for  soldering  coppers,  which  may  be 
used  in  connection  with  the  ordinary  screw  socket,  is  what 
is  known  as  the  slip  plug  socket.  This  is  so  constructed 
that  in  case  of  a  pull  of  a  few  oounds  upon  the  wires  (the 
twisted  pair,  as  they  are  called),  the  slip  plug  will  come 
out  of  its  socket  and  no  damage  will  be  done  to  either  the 
tool,  the  wires  or  the  lamp  socket  to  which  the  tool  has 
been  connected. 

Time  Required  for  Heating  Electric  Coppers. 

After  turning  on  the  current,  not  more  than  ten  minutes 
should  elapse  before  the  copper  is  hot  enough  for  soldering 
and  the  tool  remains  thus  indefinitely,  if  the  circuit  is  not 
broken  and  the  tool  is  not  used  for  heavy  work,  beyond  its 
capacity.  In  case  the  copper  suddenly  cools,  examine  the 
socket  to  see  that  it  is  in  working  order  and  that  the  plug 
has  not  been  accidentally  loosened.  If  these  fixtures  are 
all  right  and  the  copper  is  not  badly  in  need  of  re-tinning, 
then  look  for  the  trouble  on  the  inside  of  the  handle.  Upon 
disconnecting  it,  it  will  probably  be  found  that  one  of  the 
wires  in  the  flexible  cord  has  become  broken  or  detached. 
All  that  is  necessary  to  be  done,  in  that  case,  is  to  cut  off 
a  piece  of  the  flexible  cord,  or  twisted  pair  and  connect  up 
rhe  ends  again. 


ELECTRIC  SOLDERING. 


131 


Trouble  in  the  Winding. 

But  perhaps  the  trouble  may  be  more  serious,  as  in  the 
winding  inside  of  the  metal  handle ;  in  that  case,  the  man 
who  is  using  it  should,  by  all  means,  send  the  tool  to  the 
electrical  hospital  and  have  the  doctor  look  after  its  “in¬ 
nards.”  If  the  man  who  is  using  the  tool  chances  to  be 
an  expert  electrician,  then  he  may  safely  delve  in  the 
hidden  portion  of  the  copper,  but  if  not,  he  should  no  more 
try  to  fix  an  electric  soldering  copper  than  he  should  try  to 
fix  a  watch.  Any  attempt  to  do  so,  in  either  case,  by  an 
inexperienced  man,  is  apt  to  lead  to  further  trouble  and 
expense. 

When  soldering  with  an  electrical  soldering  tool  make 
sure  of  one  which  can  be  operated  ten  hours  per  day.  Not 
every  electric  tool  possesses  a  ten  hour  working  efficiency. 
Each  electrical  tool  should  be  built  to  maintain  what  is 
known  as  “critical  temperature.”  This  is  essential  to  high 
grade  soldering  and  it  can,  and  should  be,  maintained  at 
all  times. 

Care  of  Electric  Soldering  Tools. 

The  man  who  has  been  accustomed  to  throwing  a  two 
pound  block  of  copper  into  a  fire  pot  has  a  good  deal  to 
learn  before  he  can  use  electric  soldering  tools  to 
advantage. 

Not  only  is  there  a  lack  of  information  regarding  such 
tools,  but  there  is  much  misinformation  and  prejudice  re¬ 
garding  the  range  of  usefulness  and  limitations  of  electric 
soldering  tools. 

With  the  furnace  heated  coppers  it  is  possible  to  get  a 
very  high  temperature  and  by  having  a  much  larger  mass 
of  copper  apparently  get  a  more  effective  tool  on  the  work 
than  is  the  case  with  the  electric,  owing  to  the  fact  that  the 


132 


SOLDERING  AND  BRAZING. 


maximum  temperature  of  the  copper  is  easily  made  greater 
than  the  electric  tool  can  reach. 


Speed  of  Electric  Soldering  Tools. 

The  mechanic  is  used  to  having  quicker  action  in  melting 
aolder  when  applied  to  the  work  than  follows  with  the 
electric  tool.  At  first  the  workman  will  become  impatient 
because  it  is  slower  when  applied  and  cannot  be  run  as 
rapidly  as  the  big  heavy,  high  heated  copper  for  a  short 
time,  consequently  he  condemns  the  electric.  This  is 
almost  invariably  the  case  in  a  tin  shop  if  the  mechanic  be 
left  to  reach  his  own  conclusions  and  be  governed  by  his 
own  determination.  On  the  other  hand  where  the  electrics 
are  put  into  a  shop,  their  forces  explained  and  the  man 
required  to  use  them  and  no  other,  he  will  in  the  course  of 
time  learn  their  characteristics  and  prefer  the  tool  in  most 
cases. 

Sure  and  Quick  Heating  or  Slow,  Steady  and 

Continuous. 

The  furnace  heated  copper  after  it  is  prepared  and  ready 
for  the  work — very  hot — is  a  satisfactory  tool  for  a  short 
period.  The  time  required,  however,  to  care  for  the 
furnace,  to  dress  the  copper,  to  tin  it  and  clean  it  and  to 
wait  for  its  reheating  or  the  time  spent  in  retinning  the 
overheated  copper,  calls  for  far  more  of  a  man’s  time  to 
accomplish  a  certain  result  than  is  required  with  the  clean 
electric  copper,  which  does  not  become  overheated  and 
burn  off  the  tin.  but  which  cannot  l>e  crowded  or  forced 
for  short  intervals  as  can  the  furnace  heated  copper.  With 
the  electric  tool  the  man  must  go  a  bit  slower,  but  he  goe- 
quite  steadily  and,  as  explained,  when  the  man  has  learned 
his  job  the  electric  tool  satisfies  him  frr  better  than  the 
old  style  furnace  heated  copper. 


ELECTRIC  SOLDERING. 


133 


Overcoming  Prejudice  against  the  Electric 
Soldering  Tool. 

It  requires  time  and  favorable  conditions  in  the  shop  in 
the  way  of  proper  attitude  of  mind,  because  a  mechanic 
who  for  years  has  used  a  peculiar  kind  of  tool  will  be  a 
very  long*  time  in  giving  up  his  prejudice  in  its  favor  for 
something  that  is  different,  no  matter  how  much  better  it 
may  be,  even  though  not  better  in  every  respect.  The 
writer  has  had  several  well  pronounced  cases  of  this  kind. 
In  a  certain  shop  where  electric  coppers  only  are  used,  the 
foreman  was  several  months  in  coming  around  to  the 
opinion  that  he  preferred  that  kind  of  tool  but  he  will  not 
willingly  go  back  to  the  old  copper  and  fire  pot.  Every 
man  who  comes  into  this  shop  has  to  be  given  an  appre¬ 
ciable  time  before  he  will  admit  that  the  electric  tool  is 
desirable,  but  in  the  end,  having  from  necessity  used  the 
electric  copper  for  a  considerable  period  and  realizing  that 
he  cannot  turn  to  some  other  tool,  then  the  change  of 
opinion  is  complete.  The  electric  copper  is  taken  for  what 
it  is  worth  and  not  one  man  of  them  would  go  back  to  the 
old  style  tool. 

Delicacy  of  Electric  Soldering  Tools. 

Some  manufacturers,  after  they  have  tried  these  coppers, 
present  another  phase  of  the  matter.  The  complaint  is 
made  that  the  tools  are  delicate  and  not  substantial. 
Really,  this  is  not  the  fault  of  the  tools,  but  of  the  use  to 
which  they  are  subjected.  As  intimated  in  the  preceding 
paragraphs,  the  furnace  heated  soldering  tool  is  a  lump 
of  copper  which  may  be  thrown  about  without  care,  used 
as  a  hammer  on  occasion  and  otherwise  subjected  to  rough 
treatment.  The  electric  copper,  while  not  being  tender. 


134 


SOLDERING  AND  BRAZING. 


may  not  be  used  as  a  hammer  and  should  not  be  thrown 
across  the  room  or  upon  a  bench  from  a  distance.  The 
electric  tool  can  be  handled  on  a  bench  much  the  same  as 
any  other  ordinary  bench  tool  and  handled  without  more 
care  and  without  danger  of  injury,  but  the  electric  copper 
should  not  be  misused. 

Bear  in  mind  that  of  the  two  instruments  one  is  a  crude 
rough  affair  suitable  for  use  by  brute  strength  and  similar 
intelligence,  while  the  electric  tool  is  a  high  grade  creation 
and  when  handled  accordingly  will  give  results  which 
never  can  be  reached  by  the  old  fashioned  soldering 
copper. 

Injury  of  Electric  Soldering  Tools  by  Acid. 

One  point  which  should  be  well  looked  after  in  handling 
electric  soidering  coppers  is  that  of  preventing  their  injury 
from  acid  and  acid  fumes.  Soldering  solutions  contain 
more  or  less  corrosive  substances  and  as  corrosion  i  >  more 
active  when  metals  are  at  a  high  temperature  than  when 
they  are  cold,  it  will  be  seen  that  heated  soldering  tools 
are  especially  susceptible  to  corrosion  from  the  acid  above 
mentioned.  Therefore  care  must  be  taken  to  prevent  the 
acid  from  reaching  the  heater  and  the  shell  covering  the 
heater  of  the  tool  should  always  be  protected  and  by  no 
means  should  any  acid  be  permitted  to  reach  the  joint  be¬ 
tween  the  shell  of  the  tool  and  the  heater  flange. 

Not  only  should  acid  be  kept  away  from  the  electric 
tool  but  the  fumes  of  the  acid  should  be  eliminated.  Nine 
mechanics  out  of  ten  will  dash  the  hot  copper  into  a  cup  of 
hydrochloric  acid  and  they  care  not  whether  the  acid  has 
been  “killed”  or  is  “raw.”  The  cloud  of  vapor  which 
arises  when  the  copper  is  plunged  into  the  acid  means 
speedy  destruction  to  the  electric  soldering  copper.  Even 
if  not  put  completely  out  of  business  the  tool  will  be  in 
bad  shape  after  two  or  three  months  of  such  treatment. 


ELECTRIC  SOLDERING. 


335 


Electric  Tools  Should  Not  be  Dipped  in  Acid. 

Even  when  care  is  used  in  dipping  the  copper,  more  or 
less  acid  will  cling  to  the  tool  and  the  vapor  penetrates  the 
joints  and  finds  its  way  into  the  electric  wiring,  where  a 
low  red  heat  is  being  continuously  maintained,  the  parts 
are  still  more  susceptible  to  the  effects  of  acid  fumes.  Even 
when  the  copper  is  lying  upon  the  bench,  if  dipped  fre¬ 
quently  in  acid  while  being  continually  hot,  both  the  tip 
and  the  shell  will  pit  and  corrode  and  the  acid  will  find  its 
wray  into  the  interior  of  the  tool  and  attack  the  heater.  It 
is  totally  unnecessary  to  dip  the  electric  soldering  copper 
into  acid.  Under  every  circumstance  which  may  arise  in 
the  shop  this  action  is  unnecessary.  It  should  and  must  be 
prohibited. 


Stands  for  Electric  Soldering  Tools. 

Even  when  continually  in  use  a  copper  must  be  laid 
down  at  frequent  intervals  and  sometimes  it  remains  tem¬ 
porarily  out  of  use  for  several  minutes  at  a  time.  A  sup¬ 
port  should  be  provided  whereby  the  electric  tool  may  be 
laid  clear  of  the  bench  and  where  it  will  not  be  injured  by 
throwing  other  tools  upon  it  and  where  it  will  at  all  times 
be  ready  for  the  hand.  Neat  little  stands  are  provided  by 
the  manufacturer  of  electric  soldering  copper.  Some  of 
these  stands  are  arranged  so  that  when  the  copper  is  laid 
on  them  they  automatically  cut  in  series  with  the  copper,  a 
considerable  resistance  which  is  contained  within  the 
stand.  This  reduces  the  flow  of  the  current  to  the  copper, 
thereby  reducing  the  cost  of  operation.  The  tool  not  be¬ 
ing  in  use  can,  of  course,  be  kept  hot  with  less  current 
than  when  it  is  working. 


136 


SOLDERING  AND  BRAZING. 


Good  Form  of  Tool  Stand. 

A  very  good  form  of  stand  consists  of  a  slate  base  pro¬ 
vided  with  yokes  or  sockets  of  cast  iron.  Some  users  of 
electric  coppers  make  a  mistake  in  providing  a  sort  of  bed 
or  nest  made  of  asbestos  into  which  the  copper  is  thrust 
when  not  in  use.  This  is  a  very  bad  practice  indeed.  Such 
devices  are  very  injurious  because  they  act  as  a  jacket 
around  the  heater  and  cause  the  temperature  to  run  up  to 
an  undesirable  point,  even  high  enough  to  injure  the  re¬ 
sistance  wire  which  means  the  copper  and  in  some  cases 
to  decompose  the  mica  by  which  the  heater  is  insulated 
from  the  body  of  the  tool. 


Temperature  of  Electric  Soldering  Tools. 

It  should  be  kept  in  mind  that  the  heater  of  an  electric 
soldering  copper  is  maintained  at  a  low  red  while  the 
tool  is  in  use  therefore  by  preventing  radiation  of  heat  by 
surrounding  the  tool  with  asbestos  or  other  nonconducting 
material,  the  temperature  of  the  heater  is  raised  to  a  point 
which  might  seriously  damage  if  not  completely  destroy 
the  coil  which  keeps  the  tool  hot. 

Selection  of  Electric  Soldering  Tools. 

A  workman  who  has  never  used  an  electric  tool  will  be 
at  a  loss  to  decide  what  size  is  best  suited  to  his  work. 
Each  manufacturer  puts  out  from  three  to  a  dozen  sizes 
and  shapes  and  gives  an  idea  of  the  service  to  be  ex¬ 
pected  from  each.  The  tables  herewith  presented  give 
the  size,  weights  and  rating  of  tools  supplied  by  three 
prominent  makers.  The  first  four  or  five  columns  of  these 
tables  are  self  explanatory.  The  last  column  gives  the 
weight  in  pounds  of  a  tool  which  will  be  displaced  by  the 


ELECTRIC  SOLDERING. 


137 


electric  tool,  the  description  of  which  is  given  in  the 
same  horizontal  line. 

It  should  be  also  kept  in  mind  that  the  electric  tool  will 
displace  two  ordinary  coppers  instead  of  one.  Therefore 
a  tool  which  weighs  27  ounces  actually  displaces  two  cop¬ 
pers  of  1  pound  each,  or  2  pounds  in  all.  Likewise  a  big 
electric  copper  weighing  100  ounces  will  displace  8  pounds 
of  copper. 

“  G.  E.”  Electric  Soldering  Tools. 


with  permanently  attached  plug  or  handle  guard  ring. 


Diara. 
tip  in 
inches. 

of 

Weight 

Tip. 

in  ounces. 
Complete. 

Watts. 

Volts. 

Weight  in  lbs. 
of  equivalent 
soldering  copper. 

J4 

2 

25 

75 

95-105 

106-115 

i  lb. 

H 

8 

28 

IOO 

116-125 

116-125 

iY2  lbs. 

1 

16 

33 

150 

Il6-I25 

2  lbs. 

1  Va 

32 

42t/2 

200 

116-125 

3  lbs. 

1V2 

48 

54 

275 

I16-I25 

4  lbs. 

The  above  described  line  of  tools  is  the  latest  to  be  put 
upon  the  market.  Other  makes  of  electric  tools  have  been 
on  the  market  for  several  years,  but  the  “G.  E.”  Company 
did  not  go  into  the  field  until  they  were  absolutely  sure 
that  their  tools  were  capable  of  doing  everything  claimed 
for  them. 

Cartridge  Type  of  Tool  Heaters. 

The  heating  end  of  these  tools  is  of  the  cartridge  type, 
and  to  secure  the  most  effective  location  it  is  placed  right 
in  the  tip,  which  also  is  easily  renewable. 

A  peculiarity  of  these  tools  is  the  open  wire  handle  illus- 


13S 


SOLDERING  AND  BRAZING. 


trated  by  Fig.  47,  which  can  never  get  hot,  as  the  construc¬ 
tion  is  such  that  the  heat  is  dissipated  as  fast  as  it  is 
transmitted  into  the  handle. 

The  manufacturers  of  this  tool  claim  that  the  big  advan¬ 
tage  possessed  by  it  is  due  to  the  use  of  calorite  for  the 
manufacture  of  the  resistance  or  heating  coil.  It  is  also 
claimed  that  this  substance  has  a  very  high  specific  resist¬ 
ance  and  that  it  is  extremely  unoxidizable  under  high  tem¬ 
perature. 


Fig.  47. — “G.  E:’  Electric  Soldering  Tool. 

Another  advantage  possessed  by  these  tools  is  that  the 
calorite  wire  is  wound  in  a  single  layer  upon  the  lava  core. 
Many  tools  have  two  coils  of  heating  wire,  but  the  “G.  E." 
has  only  one,  and  this  is  insulated  in  a  German  silver 
cartridge  shell  with  a  paper  thin  mica  insulation  in  the 
same  manner  as  the  standard  cartridge  unit.  The  complete 
unit  slips  very  closely  into  a  hole  bored  in  the  tube,  which 
entirely  surrounds  the  cartridge. 

Life  of  “  Q.  E.”  Soldering  Tools. 

As  stated  elsewhere,  the  particular  tender  spot  of  elec¬ 
tric  soldering  tools  is  their  liability  to  overheat  while  not 
in  use  if  kept  turned  on.  Of  course  when  the  tool  is  in 
use  the  heat  is  carried  away  by  the  act  of  soldering  as  fast 
as  generated,  but  when  the  tool  is  left  on  the  stand  for  a 
considerable  length  of  time,  with  the  current  turned  on  in 
full,  there  is  apt  to  be  serious  overheating,  and  perhaps 
damage  to  the  insulation  or  heating  unit  unless  special 
means  are  provided  to  take  care  of  the  excess  heat. 


ELECTRIC  SOLDERING. 


139 


It  is  claimed  that  the  calorite  wire  is  so  little  affected  by 
oxidation  that  it  will  permit  the  tool  to  run  for  several 
thousand  hours,  doing  no  soldering  whatever,  being  con¬ 
stantly  connected. 

Tests  of  the  life  of  a  tool  running  dry,  so  to  speak,  i.  e„ 
doing  no  soldering  work,  have  been  made  by  the  “G.  E.” 
Company  to  determine  the  actual  life,  and  they  have  found 
that  tools  run  constantly  for  over  8,000  hours  are  not  af¬ 
fected  in  the  least  and  are  as  good  at  the  end  of  the 
test  as  when  the  tool  was  new.  This  is  equivalent  to  at 
least  two  and  a  half  years  at  ten  hours  a  day. 


Vulcan  Soldering  Tools. 

From  the  table  herewith  given  and  data  pertaining  to  the 
Vulcan  tools,  it  will  be  noted  that  while  the  V2  in.  “G.  E.” 
tool  weighs  27  ozs.  and  requires  75  watts  to  displace  a  1 
lb.  copper,  the  Vulcan  /2  in.  tool,  weighing  only  12  ozs. 
requires  but  70  watts.  This  tool,  however,  will  displace 
only  24  lb.  of  ordinary  copper  tool. 


VULCAN  SOLDERING  TOOL. 


Diarn.  of 
tip  in 
inches. 

Weight  in 
ounces. 

Watts. 

Volts. 

Weight  in  lbs. 
of  equivalent 
soldering  copp  r. 

V2 

12 

70 

104,  no,  IIS, 

120 

Vs 

t8 

150 

200,  220  or  230 

do.  do.  il/2 

iVs 

29 

250 

do.  do 

2/4 

26 

350 

do.  do. 

3 

Vs 

16 

120 

do.  do. 

I 

7/16 

9 

55 

do.  do. 

V2 

9 

60 

do.  do. 

24 

The  general  appearance  of  the  Vulcan  tool  is  shown  by 
Fig.  48  and  it  will  be  noted  that  the  handle  is  separated  a 
considerable  distance  from  the  soldering  tip  by  means  of  a 
wasp-like  body  connection  of  considerable  length 


1-10 


SOLDERING  AND  BRAZING. 


The  Vulcan,  people  give  some  excellent  advice  about  the 
care  of  soldering  tools.  They  advise : 

1.  That  the  tip  be  screwed  in  tight  and  kept  tight  as 
the  tool  will  thus  heat  better.  They  also  state  that  the  tips 
should  be  filed  to  point  them.  They  should  never  be 
hammered,  as  hammering  spoils  the  threads. 

2.  Acid  or  sal  ammoniac  solution  destroys  copper  and 
they  note  that  as  electric  tools  have  no  soda  or  grease  they 
do  not  need  strong  solutions. 

3.  In  removing  the  tip  never  grab  the  heating  head  or 
stem  with  a  vise  wrench,  pliers,  or  other  instrument. 


Fig.  jS. — Vulcan  Electric  Soldering  Tool. 

The  shell  will  surely  be  crushed  and  the  threads  he  de¬ 
stroyed  by  such  action. 

They  also  avoid  the  use  of  a  hammer  upon  the  shell  01 
stem. 


Unscrewing  Soldering  Tool  Tips. 

Their  simple  directions  for  unscrewing  the  tip  is  to  tap 
it  sharply  on  all  sides  with  the  hammer,  while  holding  the 
heating  head  with  the  hand,  then  put  the  tip  in  the  \  isv 
and  unscrew  the  heating  head  with  the  hand.  Never  use 
anything  besides  the  hand  for  this  purpose.  If  the  heating 
head  sticks  keep  on  tapping  the  head  as  above  directed 
until  it  does  unscrew. 

They  state  furthermore:  Never  to  use  grease  in  the 
shell  or  case,  also  keep  both  of  these  parts  free  from  acid. 


ELECTRIC  SOLDERING. 


141 


Simplex  Electric  Soldering  Tools. 

This  tool  is  shown  herewith  by  Fig.  49  and  the  data  is 
given  in  the  following  paragraphs  in  the  form  of  the  usual 
tables. 


Fig,  49. — Simplex  Electric  Soldering  Tools. 


This  tool  needs  very  little  description  as  the  engraving 
enables  the  observer  to  see  exactly  how  it  looks  and  the 
table  gives  the  necessary  data. 


SIMPLEX  SOLDERING  TOOLS. 


Diameter. 

Weight  in 
ounces. 

Watts. 

Volts. 

Weight 
of  copper 
displaced. 

V2" 

13 

95  to  220 

75 

54  lbs 

Vs” 

18 

<C 

75 

I 

l" 

25 

(( 

100 

154 

1 54" 

26 

(( 

220 

2 

134" 

28 

(C 

275 

3 

i*4" 

35 

<( 

350 

4 

3" 

102 

<( 

450 

6 

Selecting  Soldering  Tools. 

The  following  paragraphs  give  some  idea  of  the  use  to 
which  these  tools  may  be  applied  and  will  enable  the  be¬ 
ginner  in  their  use,  to  select  just  the  one  he  needs. 

The  following  list  of  tool  numbers  and  watts  required 
will  be  referred  to  in  the  paragraphs  immediately  follow¬ 
ing. 


112 


SOLDERING  aND  BRAZING. 


SELECTION  OF  TOOLS. 


No.  Watt*. 

1  .  55 

2  .  60 

3  .  70 

4  .  150 

5  .  120 

6  .  250 

7  .  350 


The  No.  1  tool  is  used  for  extremely  light  soldering, 
very  light  telephone  multiple  switch  board  repairs,  elec¬ 
trical  instruments,  smallest  fuses  and  in  fact  for  th;  light¬ 
est  of  all  light  work. 

No.  2  is  used  on  bench  and  open  work  where  a  very 
light  wire  tip  is  wanted.  It  is  especially  adapted  for  the 
telephone  or  linemen's  tool  kit. 

No.  3  is  for  the  ordinary  telephone  switch  boards,  for 
electric  instrument  work  and  for  very  light  manufacturing 
fuses. 

No.  4  is  used  for  fast  repair  telephone  work,  for  light 
tinware  and  for  automobile  work.  This  tool  is  also  suit¬ 
able  for  general  home  use  and  w'hen  an  electric  soldering 
tool  is  to  be  added  to  the  family  tool  kit  this  particular 
tool  should  be  selected. 

No.  5  is  almost  similar  to  No.  4.  This  tool  is  recom¬ 
mended  where  shortness  is  important. 

No.  6  should  be  used  for  ordinary  tin  shop  work,  gen¬ 
eral  manufacturing,  medium  tin  metal  patterns  and  auto¬ 
mobiles. 

No.  7  is  the  tool  to  select  for  very  heavy  tinware  and 
sheet  steel  and  galvanized  iron  work.  Metal  boat  making 
requires  this  tool  and  it  is  also  necessary  on  refrigerator 
work. 


ELECTRIC  SOLDERING. 


143 


Electric  Branding  Appliances. 

It  may  be  interesting  for  the  mechanic  to  know  that 
any  of  the  electric  soldering  tools  may  be  transformed  into 
first  class  branding  tools  by  simply  unscrewing  the  tip  and 
replacing  same  with  a  brand  made  to  suit  requirements. 
1  his  is  a  great  convenience  in  certain  kinds  of  work  as  the 
tips  and  brands  are  readily  and  quickly  interchangeable. 

Care  of  Electric  Soldering  Tools. 

The  writer  desires  to  emphasize  and  reiterate  the  neces¬ 
sity  for  great  care  in  using  and  handling  electric  soldering 
tools.  Like  a  watch,  the  higher  the  grade  of  tool  the 
greater  the  care  necessary  and  this  applies  to  electric 
soldering  tools  above  all  other  appliances.  Also  many  of 
these  tools  are  made  with  air  tight  binding  chambers  to 
protect  them  from  destructive  flux  fumes.  As  stated  else¬ 
where  they  are  damaged  or  destroyed  by  the  persistent  use 
of  strong  acids  and  strong  solutions,  therefore  care  for 
the  electric  soldering  tool  as  you  would  care  for  a  high 
grade  watch  and  no  trouble  will  be  found  in  their  con¬ 
tinual  use. 


CHAPTER  IX. 


BRAZING. 

The  term  brazing,  as  generally  understood,  means  join¬ 
ing  together  of  two  pieces  of  iron,  steel,  or  other  metal 
by  means  of  a  film  of  soft  brass.  Anybody  may,  with  pro¬ 
priety,  use  the  term  brazing  to  indicate  the  soldering  ot 
two  or  more  pieces  with  an  alloy  of  copper  and  zinc,  but 
as  soldering  is  commonly  understood  as  joining  metals  by 
an  alloy  of  tin  and  lead,  it  is  better  to  leave  out  this  defi¬ 
nition  and  use  the  term  brazing  instead. 

Brazing  and  hard  soldering  are  almost  identical  in  effect 
as  well  as  in  operation,  except  that  in  the  former  brass 
is  used  as  the  union  metal  while  in  the  latter  silver  or 
an  alloy  of  that  metal  is  used  as  the  uniting  medium. 

There  are  a  great  many  metals  which  when  melted  and 
brought  in  contact  with  other  heated  but  unmelted  metals 
will  unite  themselves  thereto  and  form  a  one-sided  species 
of  welding  in  which  the  union  to  all  intents  and  purposes 
is  as  complete  as  when  both  metals  are  melted  together 
or  welded. 


Methods. 

There  arc  several  methods  commonly  employed  for  braz¬ 
ing  and  the  one  which  should  be  selected  depends  upon 
the  conditions  and  requirements  of  the  work  in  hand. 

The  most  common  method  may  be  called  brazing  by 
radiant  heat,  in  which  the  parts  to  be  united  are  fastened 

144 


BRAZING. 


145 


together  by  means  of  wire  rivets  and  then  held  in  a  very 
intense  heat  until  the  spelter  or  brass  melts  and  runs 
between  the  pieces  to  be  joined. 

Brazing  by  Conducted  Heat. 

Brazing  by  conducted  heat  is  another  method  by  which 
the  articles  to  be  united  are  fastened  together  outside  by 
brackets  and  evenly  united  and  speltered,  then  they  are 
clamped  together  with  a  pair  of  red  hot  tongs  which  melts 
the  spelter  and  it  flows  into  the  joint  and  unites  the  metals 
more  or  less  completely  according  to  the  skill  of  the  oper¬ 
ator. 

Brazing  by  Immersion. 

Brazing  by  immersion  is  another  method  by  which  the 
parts,  when  thoroughly  cleaned  and  securely  fastened  to¬ 
gether,  are  plunged  into  a  vessel  containing  melted  spelter 
or  brass  and  held  therein  until  sufficiently  heated  so  that 
the  brass  unites  the  parts  to  be  joined. 

Brazing  by  Electricity. 

The  electric  method  of  brazing  is  another  but  slightly 
employed  method.  The  articles  are  prepared  much  the 
same  as  for  electric  welding,  but  instead  of  eing  pressed 
together  as  they  become  heated  they  are  merely  clamped 
and  a  current  applied  until  the  spelter  melts  and  flows 
into  the  joint.  This  method  is,  perhaps,  the  handiest  and 
neatest  of  all  ways  of  brazing,  but  as  yet  it  has  not  come 
into  general  use. 

Brazing  or  Hard  Soldering? 

There  is  very  little  difference  between  brazing  and  hard 
soldering  except  that  brass  instead  of  silver  is  used  in 
the  former  operation. 


146 


SOLDERING  AND  BRAZING. 


Various  Methods  of  Heating  for  Brazing. 

The  heating  may  be  done  for  brazing  by  the  blow  torch, 
as  illustrated  by  Fig.  9  of  this  series,  or  the  blow 
pipe  may  be  used,  an  instrument  which  is  shown  by  Fig. 
11.  Even  the  blow  torch  furnace,  illustrated  by  Fig.  10, 
may  be  used  to  advantage  in  brazing;  and  the  blow  pipe 
used  in  connection  with  the  pliers  and  a  piece  of  rosin, 
as  shown  by  Fig.  13  and  Fig.  14,  may  also  be  used  to 
excellent  advantage. 

The  air  gas  blow  pipe,  Fig.  15,  and  the  gasoline  blow 
pipe  arrangement.  Fig.  16,  may  also  be  relied  upon  to  do 
a  great  deal  of  heavy  work. 

By  building  up  around  the  work  with  charcoal  or  wood 
chips  and  blocks  a  very  large  area  may  be  heated  and  a 
bigger  job  may  be  done  with  these  tools  than  the  man 
unacquainted  with  this  work  can  have  any  idea  of. 


Materials  for  Brazing. 

There  are  innumerable  alloys  used  for  brazing  but  three 
or  four  will  be  enough  for  any  ordinary  work.  It  is 
usual  to  purchase  spelter  already  prepared  for  brazing. 
It  is  in  the  form  of  a  crushed  or  granulated  powder  and 
in  this  condition  is  easily  mixed  with  pulverized  borax. 
If  the  mixture  be  wet  slightly,  barely  moistened,  it  may 
be  easily  placed  upon  the  joint  to  be  brazed  by  means  of 
a  small  brush  or  bit  of  stick. 

Perhaps  the  brazing  mechanic  had  best  prepare  four 
alloys,  two  hard  and  two  soft,  which  we  will  call  hardest, 
hard,  soft  and  softest. 


BRAZING. 


147 


Alloys  for  Brazing. 


Alloys.  Tin.  Copper.  Zinc.  Antimony. 

Hardest  .  o  6  2  o 

Hard  .  o  2  2  o 

Soft  .  2  8  6  o 

Softest  . 4  o  o  o 


In  a  number  of  test  books  a  metal  is  given  for  brazing 
as  follows:  Zinc,  1  part;  fine  brass,  1  part.  In  making  an 
alloy  of  this  kind  it  is  understood  that  the  copper  in  the 
brass  receives  still  another  proportion  of  zinc  which  lowers 
the  melting  point  and  therefore  makes  the  alloy  much 
softer. 


Fluxes  for  Brazing. 

Borax  and  boracic  acid  are  the  two  principal  fluxes  used 
for  this  purpose.  Some  mechanics  prefer  one,  some  the 
other,  and  some  men  mix  the  two  together  in  varying  pro¬ 
portions.  The  writer  has  the  opinion  that  it  makes  very 
little  difference  which  one  is  used;  he  uses  either  one  and 
can  see  no  difference  in  the  results  obtained  with  either. 


Applying  Borax  and  Spelter. 

The  old  style  brazer  used  to  dust  a  lot  of  borax  upon 
the  work,  then  place  the  piece  of  brass  upon  the  borax 
and  watch  the  fusing  of  the  borax,  which  invariably  pushed 
the  brass  off  of  the  work.  The  writer  has  seen  an  old 
tinier  of  this  kind  replace  the  brass  three  or  four  times 
upon  the  join.  Each  time  he  replaced  it  he  would  dust 
on  some  more  borax.  This  is  unnecessary;  sifting  on 
borax  once  or  twice  is  usually  enough  for  a  single  job. 
It  is  only  required  that  the  borax  diffuse  itself  over  the 


14S 


SOLDERING  AND  BRAZING. 


join  to  be  brazed  to  prevent  access  of  the  atmosphere  to 
the  heated  metal.  As  long  as  the  thinnest  film  of  the  borax 
remains  on  the  work  there  is  no  need  of  applying  more 
flux. 


Wet  or  Dry  Fluxes. 

The  question  as  to  whether  to  use  borax  powdered,  pul¬ 
verized,  wet  or  dry  has  never  been  satisfactorily  settled 
or  at  least  mechanics  have  not  agreed  upon  any  one  meth¬ 
od  as  being  better  than  all  others.  The  finer  the  borax 
is  pulverized  the  less  apt  it  is  to  “boil  when  losing  its 
water  of  crystallization,  for  this  is  what  happens  when  the 
pieces  of  borax  start  up  and  turn  themselves  inside  out 
jefore  melting  and  becoming  diffused  over  the  metal  to 
oe  brazed.  Finely  divided  borax  melts  much  quicker  than 
lumps,  therefore  the  disturbance  is  less  great  and  less 
likely  to  upset  the  brass  or  spelter  and  push  it  out  of  place. 

Brazing  by  immersion,  as  briefly  described  on  page  145, 
is  effected  by  wiring  firmly  together  the  articles  to  be 
grazed  and  then  thrusting  them  into  a  body  of  melted 
spelter,  after  treatment  with  the  proper  flux  of  course,  and 
holding  them  beneath  the  surface  of  the  metal  until  the 
articles  have  been  heated  to  the  proper  degree  of  tem¬ 
perature. 

Upon  removal  from  the  bath  the  surplus  spelter  will 
readily  fall  away  or  may  be  taken  off,  leaving  the  articles 
perfectly  brazed  together.  Fig.  50  shows  a  tank  for  braz¬ 
ing  by  immersion. 

An  immersion  tank  is  usually  of  cast  iron  shaped  some¬ 
what  as  shown  by  Fig.  50,  but  it  may  be  made  square 
instead  of  triangular  if  desired.  The  object  of  making 
the  triangular  vessel  for  containing  the  melted  spelter  is 
merely  for  giving  sufficient  depth  and  width  of  immersion 
space  with  the  smallest  possible  body  of  metal.  This  end 


BRAZING. 


149 


is  obtained  with  a  vessel  shaped  as  shown  by  Fig.  50. 
There  is  no  objection  to  using  a  vessel  with  a  round  cast 
iron  bottom  if  so  desired  and  for  some  work  such  a 
shaped  vessel  might  be  necessary. 


Preparing  Work  for  Immersion  Brazing. 

Fig.  51  shows  an  example  of  fitting  up  two  pipes  for 
brazing  by  immersion.  Pipe  A  is  to  become  a  branch  of 
pipe  B.  A  hole  is  made  in  pipe  B  and  pipe  A  is  fitted 
as  perfectly  as  possible  against  B  and  it  is  better  if  there 
is  no  perceptible  opening  between  the  pipes  at  the  point 
of  junction.  Once  they  are  fitted  together  they  are  wired 
tightly  in  position,  the  wire  C  being  passed  around  be¬ 
neath  the  pipes  and  twisted  firmly  together  at  D.  Previous 
to  this  the  metal  has  been  for  some  distance  brightened 
around  the  junction  of  the  two  pieces. 


SOLDERING  AND  BRAZING. 


15J 

The  brightening  shown  at  E  may  extend  a  convenient 
distance  on  either  side  of  the  junction;  it  makes  no  dif¬ 
ference  how  far  provided  it  is  far  enough  for  the  width 
of  join  intended  to  be  used.  This,  of  course,  depends 
upon  the  size  of  pipe  to  be  brazed  and  ranges  from  of 


Fig.  51. — Pipe  Wired  and  Blackened  for  Brazing 

by  Immersion. 

an  inch  on  very  small  pipes  to  1  inch  or  iJ4  inch  on  very 
large  pipes. 


Scraping  and  Brightening. 

Having  brightened  the  pipes  and  wired  them  together 
proceed  to  blacken  every  portion  of  the  pipe  except  the 
joint  E.  In  fact  ail  the  surface  must  be  covered  with 
plumbago  blackening  to  prevent  adherence  of  the  spelter. 
It  will  be  noted  that  the  pipe  is  blackened  at  F  inside 
as  well  at  G,  even  the  wire  is  blackened,  in  fact  every 
portion  except  the  narrow  strip  around  the  joint  as  shown 
at  E. 

After  the  blackening  has  become  dry  some  borax  is 
dusted  upon  joint  E  and  the  whole  business  is  lowered  into 


BRAZING. 


151 


the  immersion  tank.  It  requires  but  a  very  few  seconds 
for  the  pipe  to  become  heated,  then  it  is  removed  and 
gently  shaken  to  remove  the  superfluous  spelter  which  ad¬ 
heres  over  the  brightened  portion  E  and  comes  from  the 
bath  looking  as  neat  as  any  wiped  joint  ever  made  by  the 
best  workman. 


Rapidity  of  Immersion  Brazing. 

The  rapidity  with  which  brazing  may  be  done  by  the 
immersion  method  cannot  be  equaled  by  any  other  method 
of  brazing.  It  is  not  very  convenient,  however,  for  very 
large  work,  but  with  immersion  tanks  large  enough  to  con¬ 
tain  bicycle  frames,  the  bicycle  manufacturer  makes  quick 
work  of  his  brazing. 


Pipe  Brazing  Clamps. 

Sometimes  it  is  not  convenient  to  wire  together  the  parts 
to  be  brazed.  In  such  cases  permanent  clamps  may  be 
made  for  that  purpose,  one  of  which  is  shown  by  Fig.  52. 
This  form  of  clamp  is  particularly  desirable  for  brazing 
Y  joints.  It  is  almost  impossible  to  wire  such  joints  in 
place  so  that  they  will  stay  while  being  brazed. 

The  clamps  illustrated  consist  of  two  pieces  of  iron  or 
steel  drilled  for  three  bolts,  each  carrying  a  thumb  nut. 
Loose  clamp  pieces  are  fitted  to  the  radius  of  the  pipe 
to  be  handled  and  serve  to  give  better  contact  between 
the  pipes  and  the  clamp.  With  a  clamp  of  this  kind  it  is 
only  necessary  to  place  the  pipes  in  position,  screw  the 
thumb  nuts  down  tight,  drive  the  joint  firmly  together 
with  a  hammer,  then  paint  with  plumbago,  immerse  in 
the  tank  or  braze  in  any  other  manner  convenient. 


152 


SOLDERING  AND  BRAZING. 


Brazing  Pots  and  Kettles. 

Fig-  S3  shows  a  form  of  brazing  which  is  not  done  now 
as  often  as  it  was  before  the  invention  of  the  drawing 
press.  Presses  are  now  made  which  will  form  np  almost 
any  shape  of  pot,  kettle  or  other  cooking  utensil  from  a 


single  flat  sheet  of  metal.  But  in  some  work  brazing  like 
that  shown  by  Fig.  53  is  still  necessary,  particularly  in 
making  stills. 

In  this  engraving  it  will  be  noted  that  the  ends  of  a 
sheet  a  a  arc  brought  together  and  dovetailed.  Furthermore 
the  dovetails  are  riveted  as  shown  as  c  r  to  prevent  the 
plates  from  coming  apart  sidewise.  The  rivets  are  given 


BRAZING. 


153 


a  shallow  heading  so  as  to  prevent  the  dovetailing  from 
coming  apart.  W ork  of  this  kind  is  usually  executed  in 
copper.  The  brazing  necessarily  must  be  done  with  a 
metal  which  has  a  lower  melting  point  than  copper  and 
is,  as  stated  elsewhere,  an  alloy  of  equal  parts  of  copper 
and  zinc. 

A  similar  line  of  dovetailing  is  shown  at  b  b  where 
the  bottom  of  the  pot  is  joined  to  the  sides.  The  bottom 


Fig.  t?. — Brazing  a  Pot. 


is  usually  hammered  to  the  requisite  shape,  a  thick  sheet 
being  used  which  when  hammered  will  be  drawn  down  to 
the  proper  thickness.  Flat  rivets  are  put  in  this  dovetailing 
as  shown  at  d  d,  after  which  the  brazing  is  effected  usual¬ 
ly  in  a  fire  somewhat  larger  than  that  used  by  a  black¬ 
smith.  The  brazing  fire  as  used  by  coppersmiths  is  so 
made  that  it  can  be  enlarged  to  almost  any  required  di¬ 
mensions.  It  can  be  spread  out  into  a  long  narrow  fire 


154 


SOLDERING  AND  BRAZING. 


or  widened  out  into  a  large  square  area  over  which  the 
heat  and  flame  are  very  easily  distributed. 

Brazing  a  plate,  as  shown  by  Fig.  54,  is  an  entirely  dif¬ 
ferent  matter  and  one  which  often  taxes  to  the  utmost 
the  skill  of  the  mechanic.  A  curved  sheet,  as  in  a  pot 


or  cylinder,  is  easily  held  in  position  but  with  a  flat  plate 
it  is  sometimes  very  hard  to  keep  the  edges  perfectly  true 
with  each  other.  Two  methods  are  shown  by  Fig.  54,  the 
butt  joint  and  the  lap  joint.  The  latter  is  much  the  easier 
as  far  as  brazing  is  concerned  but  is  a  much  more  costly 


BRAZING. 


155 


joint  to  make  owing  to  the  work  in  bevelling  the  edges 
of  the  sheet. 

The  joined  section  is  shown  at  a,  and  at  b  is  shown 
a  clamp  which  is  merely  a  flat  bit  of  bar  iron  placed 
upon  the  joint  as  shown.  A  similar  piece  of  metal  is 
placed  on  the  other  side  of  the  plate  and  a  rivet  c  is 
driven  through  both  and  slightly  headed  to  hold  the  plates 
firmly  together  in  the  clamp.  A  bolt  may  be  used  in  place 
of  a  rivet  but  it  is  more  expensive  because  after  brazing 
it  is  usual  to  cut  the  rivet  away  with  a  cold  chisel  in 
order  that  the  clamps  may  be  removed,  but  if  a  little  care 
is  taken  to  braze  on  either  side  of  the  clamp  to  not  get 
any  brass  under  or  into  the  clamp  then  the  bolt  or  rivet 
may  be  easily  driven  out,  the  clamp  removed  and  the 
space  brazed  where  the  clamp  was  applied,  but  as  it  is 
much  easier  to  braze  right  through  under  the  clamp  as 
well  as  other  places,  it  is  as  stated  usual  to  lightly  rivet 
the  clamps  together,  then  knock  them  off  with  a  cold  chisel 
after  the  brazing  is  completed. 

Lap  Brazing  Plates. 

The  lap  method,  as  stated,  is  easier  as  far  as  the  actual 
brazing  is  concerned.  A  lap  of  this  kind  is  shown  at  d, 
Fig.  54,  and  to  hold  the  lap  in  position  rivets  e  e  are 
drilled  through  the  lap  and  lightly  headed  down.  After 
the  brazing  has  been  effected  the  rivet  heads  are  filed 
away,  leaving  the  surface  smooth.  The  lap  method  makes 
a  stronger  joint  than  can  be  effected  by  butting  the  plates 
together. 


Brazing  Valve  Stems. 

Several  methods  of  brazing  valve  stems  are  shown  by 
Fig.  55.  Brazing  in  automobile  work  is  a  good  deal  like 
welding.  That  is  it  is  forbidden  to  be  used  in  automobile 


156 


SOLDERING  AND  BRAZING. 


construction.  This,  however,  applies  to  the  mechanism  of 
the  engine  and  the  running  gear  of  the  carriage,  but  not 
to  the  ornamental  work  or  to  the  joining  of  the  conduct¬ 
ing  pipes  and  similar  articles. 

A  valve  stem  may  be  so  brazed  that  it  will  be  as  strong 
as  a  solid  stem,  but  on  the  other  hand  there  are  many 


Fig.  55. — Good  and  Bad  Brazed  Joints. 

ways  of  brazing  stems  which  are  not  acceptable  and  should 
be  forbidden  in  automobile  work. 

In  Fig.  55,  sketch  A,  the  stem  is  to  be  brazed  at  a 
and  the  diameter  of  the  stem  c  is  quite  small,  probably 
not  more  than  a  %  of  an  inch.  If  the  stem  be  butted 
square  together,  as  shown  in  A,  it  is  evident  that  a  very 
weak  joint  will  result  and  the  strength  of  the  joint  can 
be  no  greater  than  if  the  entire  valve  were  made  of  soft 
brass.  Such  a  joint  is  tabooed  in  automobile  work. 


BRAZING. 


157 


Sketch  B  shows  the'  lap  method  of  brazing  a  stem  d 
which  is  flatted  off  from  e  to  f,  shortening  the  stem  that 
amount  but  permitting  the  parts  to  lap  a  considerable 
distance.  When  well  brazed  this  forms  a  quite  strong 
union  between  the  parts,  but,  unfortunately,  as  valve  stems 
usually  break  close  to  the  head,  it  is  not  often  that  we 
can  make  joints  of  this  kind. 

A  very  common  form  of  stem  brazing  is  shown  by 
sketch  C.  Here  a  hole  is  drilled  through  the  body  of  the 
valve,  the  stem  is  driven  in,  riveted  slightly  and  then 
brazed.  This  makes  a  very  good  joint  but  it  is  not  quite 
good  enough  for  automobile  work  for  there  is  a  possibility 
of  the  brazing  becoming  loose,  allowing  the  stem  to  slip 
in  and  out  of  the  valve  head. 

The  only  form  of  brazing  a  joint  which  should  be  tol¬ 
erated  in  automobile  work  is  shown  by  sketch  D.  Here 
a  hole  is  drilled  through  the  valve  head  as  above  but  the 
hole  is  made  much  smaller  and  instead  of  having  the  stem 
driven  in  the  hole  is  tapped  and  a  thread  is  cut  upon  the 
stem,  after  which  they  are  screwed  together  as  tightly  as 
possible  and  the  outer  end  of  the  stem  riveted  lightly 
over  the  valve  head,  then  after  the  brazing  has  been 
effected  a  joint  is  the  result  which  is  only  weaker  than 
a  solid  stem  to  the  extent  of  the  difference  in  the  diameter 
between  the  valve  stem  and  its  diameter  at  the  bottom 
of  the  tapped  thread. 


Brazing  Ferrules. 

The  beginner  in  brazing  usually  proceeds  with  a  ferrule 
for  a  chisel  handle  or  for  a  knife  handle.  Usually  the 
ferrule  consists  of  a  bit  of  hoop  iron  cut  to  the  right 
length  and  rolled  up  until  the  edges  butt  together.  Ferrules 
are  shown  by  Fig.  56  and  it  should  be  noted  that  in 
sketch  A  the  joint  is  a  very  poor  one.  Only  one  edge 


158 


SOLDERING  AND  BRAZING. 


of  each  end  of  the  strip  of  metal  touch  together.  This 
joint  can  be  brazed  but  there  will  be  i-i6th  of  an  inch 
of  brass  in  the  joint  and  it  goes  without  saying  that  the 
joint  will  be  much  weaker  than  if  the  steel  had  been 
fitted  closely  together,  as  shown  by  sketch  B. 

This  sketch  shows  a  very  well  fitted  joint  and  the 
resulting  ferrule  will  be  strong  and  good  looking.  There 
will  be  a  wide  streak  of  brass  the  entire  length  of  the 
obj  ect. 


When  extra  strength  is  required  in  a  ferrule  the  joint 
shown  by  sketch  C  should  be  employed.  Here  the  metal 
has  been  scarfed  and  lapped  and  to  make  it  fit  as  tight  as 
possible  a  small  rivet  is  drilled  through  the  lap  and  lightly 
headed  down.  The  novice  in  brazing  need  not  be  afraid 
that  he  will  fit  the  joint  so  well  that  no  brass  will  get 
into  it.  That  is  impossible.  If  a  hole  be  drilled  through 
a  plate  and  a  plug  driven  into  that  hole  as  tightly  as 
possible  then  the  plug  may  be  riveted  on  each  side  of  the 
plate  and  subjected  to  the  brazing  operation,  after  which 
it  will  be  found  that  the  brass  has  followed  through  the 
entire  thickness  of  the  plate  beside  the  rivet.  Therefore 
'to  matter  how  closely  the  joint  may  be  fitted  brass  will 
find  its  way  into  it  during  the  brazing,  and  as  stated  the 
closer  the  fitting  and  the  less  brass  in  the  joint  the  strong¬ 
er  it  will  be. 

Fig.  57  shows  a  good  method  of  holding  the  ferrule  dur 


BRAZING. 


159 


ing  the  brazing  operation.  A  bit  of  wire  is  turned  at 
right  angles  forming  a  sort  of  hook  upon  which  the  fer¬ 
rule  is  suspended  with  the  joint  downward. 


Fig.  j/. — Heating  a  Ferrule  Braze. 

This  engraving  quite  plainly  shows  the  manner  in  which 
the  bricks  of  spelter  are  disposed  inside  of  the  ferrule. 
This  makes  a  very  good  place  to  put  the  brazing  material 
and  it  is  not  apt  to  be  knocked  off  during  the  heating 
operation.  In  addition  to  this  less  brass  is  left  on  the 
outside  of  the  ferrule,  necessitating  less  work  in  cleaning 
up  and  brightening  the  object. 


Cleaning  Brazed  Joints. 

When  brazed  articles  are  removed  from  the  fire  with 
the  molten  brass  flowing  over  them,  means  should  be  taken 
for  removing  at  once  the  superfluous  brazing  material  and 
not  permit  it  to  solidify  into  globules  which  must  be  re¬ 
moved  when  cold  by  means  of  fire  or  emery  wheel.  When 
the  work  comes  from  the  fire  as  soon  as  the  brass  “runs" 
then  the  superfluous  metal  may  be  easily  wiped  off  with  a 
piece  of  metal  wire  or  a  stick  or  a  little  scratch  brush 
may  be  employed  to  advantage. 


160 


SOLDERING  AND  BRAZING. 


Dropping  Brazed  Articles  into  Water. 

Some  people  make  a  practise  of  dropping  brazed  articles 
into  water  immediately  after  they  are  removed  from  the 
fire.  The  certain  evolution  of  steam  by  the  red  hot  metal 
tears  away  the  scale  and  the  superfluous  brass  from  the 
surface  of  the  metal  leaving  the  articles  quite  smooth  and 
clean.  This  method  is  good  in  some  cases  but  it  cannot 
be  used  with  steel  articles  which  would  be  injured  by  be¬ 
ing  hardened  as  would  be  the  case  if  plunged  into  cold 
water  when  in  a  heated  condition. 


Brazing  a  Band  Saw. 

One  of  the  most  common  operations  which  the  mechanic 
has  to  perform  is  joining  together  the  ends  of  band  saws. 
Joints  of  this  character  are  required  in  saws  of  */&  inch  in 
width  up  to  7  inches  or  even  8  inches  in  width.  Saws 
of  such  large  size,  however,  are  seldom  met  with  except 
in  the  lumber  regions  where  they  are  used  for  the  economi¬ 
cal  cutting  out  of  lumber.  The  brazing  operation  is  much 
the  same  whether  the  saw  be  inch  wide  or  many  times 
that  width. 


Fig.  $8. — A  Well  Brazed  Band  Sait’. 


An  excellent  job  of  saw  brazing  is  shown  by  Fig.  58. 
A  slight  mark  or  shading  is  visible  at  A.  This  mark  in¬ 
dicates  one  end  of  the  lap  in  the  saw  which  covers  three 
teeth  in  length. 


BRAZING. 


161 


At  B  is  another  very  slight  marking  but  it  is  on  the 
opposite  side  of  the  saw  at  the  other  extremity  of  the  lap. 

Fig-  59  is  a  very  good  example  of  “How  not  to  do  it.’’ 
It  will  be  noted  that  the  teeth  do  not  match  each  other.  A 
job  of  this  kind  should  never  be  turned  out  by  a  mechanic 
who  prides  himself  upon  his  brazing  ability.  Further 
comment  regarding  this  engraving  is  not  necessary,  ir 
speaks  for  itself. 

Methods  of  Holding  and  Brazing  Band  Saws. 

Several  methods  are  in  use  for  holding  and  brazing  band 
saws,  and  the  time  honored  clamp  illustrated  by  Fig.  60 
is  perhaps  the  best  known  piece  of  apparatus  for  saw 


Fig.  gp. — A  Slovenly  Job  of  Save  Brazing. 


brazing.  The  clamp  is  made  of  two  or  three  pieces  and 
they  are  steel.  The  one  illustrated  by  Fig.  60  is  composed 
of  two  pieces,  the  lower  one  having  been  channeled  in  a 
planer  to  receive  the  upper  or  smaller  piece  of  metal. 
After  the  two  pieces  are  fitted  together  and  fastened  by 
means  of  two  bolts  and  thumb  nuts  then  a  notch  is  cut 
in  the  middle  of  the  tool  as  shown  and  here  the  work 
of  brazing  the  saw  is  carried  out.  Two  holes  are  shown 
at  C  and  D  and  screws  may  be  put  into  these  holes  and 
into  the  bench  or  some  other  adequate  support  for  the 
brazing  clamp. 

A  saw  is  shown  in  position  ready  for  brazing,  being 
clamped  in  the  tool,  and  it  will  be  noted  that  the  notch 
extends  back  beyond  the  saw  at  the  point  where  the  braz- 


102 


SOLDERING  AND  BRAZING. 


ing  is  being  done  while  on  the  other  side  of  the  notch 
the  back  of  the  saw  bears  firmly  against  the  body  of  the 
clamp  thereby  keeping  the  saw  perfectly  straight. 

It  will  be  noted  that  the  ends  of  the  saw  fit  together  in 
a  very  peculiar  manner.  They  are  slightly  bent  so  that 
both  ends  of  the  lap  touch  while  the  middle  of  the  lap 
is  a  small  distance  apart.  The  saw  is  purposely  fitted  in 
this  way  in  order  that  a  sure  contact  may  be  made  with 
each  end  of  the  lap.  With  the  saw  in  position  as  shown 
by  Fig.  6o,  with  a  thin  piece  of  soft  brass  placed  between 
the  ends  of  the  saw  and  with  a  liberal  dusting  of  borax 


Fig.  60. — Band  Sazv  Bracing  Clamp. 

powder,  heat  is  applied  by  means  of  a  torch,  a  blow  pipe 
or  by  means  of  the  brazing  tongs  shown  by  Fig.  61. 

Tongs  for  the  purpose  of  saw  brazing  consist  of  very 
large  solid  pieces  of  metal  from  i  inch  to  3  inches  square 
hinged  together  like  an  ordinary  pair  of  blacksmith’s  tongj 
but  made  to  pinch  closely  and  securely  together  against 
the  entire  length  of  the  jaw. 

The  saw  being  in  position  as  shown  ly  Fig.  60,  the 
brazing  tongs,  Fig.  61  are  heated  to  a  low  red  heat  and 
then  clamped  carefully  and  firmly  upon  the  ends  of  the 
band  saw  shown  in  the  notch  at  Fig.  60.  Pressure  being 
applied  to  the  handles  of  the  tongs  the  jaws  are  brought 
together,  the  brass  is  quickly  melted  and  the  saw  is  pressed 
into  close  contact  along  the  entire  length  of  the  lap.  The 
tongs  may  be  left  in  this  position  until  the  joint  is  cool 


BRAZING. 


1G3 


or  they  may  be  removed  in  a  few  seconds  and  the  saw 
joint  seized  for  a  second  or  two  with  a  common  pair  of 
pliers  to  make  sure  that  the  lapped  ends  remain  in  perfect 
contact  during  the  cooling  process. 


Fig.  6 1. — Brazing  Tongs. 


When  a  blow  pipe  or  torch  is  used  for  heating  the  saw 
a  pair  of  cooling  tongs  is  usually  applied  after  the  brass 
has  commenced  to  run.  The  common  form  of  cooling 
tongs  is  shown  by  Fig.  62  and,  as  may  be  seen  by  the 


1C4 


SOLDERING  AND  BRAZING. 


engraving,  it  is  merely  a  pair  of  pliers  with  a  very  much 
elongated  pair  of  jaws. 

As  soon  as  the  brass  is  seen  to  run  in  the  band  saw 
bore  the  cooling  tongs  are  gently  slipped  upon  the  joint 


Fig.  62. — Cooling  Tongs. 


and  pressed  tight  for  a  second  or  two,  the  source  of  heat¬ 
ing  being  removed  at  the  same  instant  the  tongs  are  ap¬ 
plied.  The  effect  of  the  tongs  is  to  squeeze  the  joint  to¬ 
gether  and  to  hold  it  firmly  during  the  cooling  operation 
which  is  almost  instantaneous,  so  quickly  does  the  cooling 
tongs  carry  away  heat  from  the  saw. 


INDEX. 


A 

Absorbed,  Iron  by  Solder, 
37 

Absorption  of  Hydrochlo¬ 
ric  Acid  Gas  by  Water,  51 
Acid,  action  of  on  Metal,  95 
— ,  Boracic,  65-66 

—  “Cut,”  91 

—  Fumes,  Cleaning  Zinc  to 
Avoid,  49 

— ,  Hydrochloric  Gas,  Ab¬ 
sorption  of  by  Water,  51 

- .  Testing,  50-53 

— .Injurious  to  Electric 
Soldering  Tools,  134 
— ,  Lactic,  Soldering  Fluid, 
44 

—  Method  of  Cleaning 
Coppers,  1 7 

—  Oxidizing  Process,  95 
— ,  Selecting  by  Hydrome¬ 
ter  Test,  53 

— ,  Sulphuric,  99 
Action,  Mechanical  of 
Fluxes,  40 

—  of  Acid  on  Metal,  95 

—  of  Blow  Pipe  Flames,  32 

—  of  Colophony.  42 
Adulterated  Tallow,  124 
After  Soldering,  Silver 

Solders,  for,  58 


Air  Gas  Blow  Pipe,  61 
— ,  Protect  Bits  from,  16 
— ,  Pump  Leakage,  27 
Alcohol  and  Gasoline,  Gums 
and  Resins  Soluble  in,  45 
Alloys  and  their  Melting- 
Points,  4 

—  for  Brazing,  147 
— ,  Lead  and  Tin,  35 
Aluminum  and  Bronze 

Fluxes  for,  46 

—  Fluxes  for,  45 
Appearance  of  a  Flat 

Wipe  Joint,  120 
Appliance  for  Pipe  Braz¬ 
ing,  151 

Appliances,  Soldering  Tools 
and  Methods,  8 
— ,  Electric  Branding,  143 
Applied,  when  Fluxes 
should  be,  66 
Apply  Fluxes,  when  to,  32 
Applying  Borax  and  Spel¬ 
ter,  147 

—  Fluxes  to  Silver  Solder¬ 
ing,  Method  of,  66 

—  Hard  Solder,  66 

—  Melted  Solder  to  a  Wipe 
Joint,  109 

—  Solder,  79 

Articles,  Brazed,  Dropping 
into  Water,  160 


165 


IGG 


INDEX. 


Artistic  Instinct,  the,  in 
Wiping  Joints,  1 14 
Artist,  Joint  Wiper,  must 
be,  114 

Asbestos  Pads,  124 
Attraction,  Capillary,  72 
Autogeneous  Soldering,  2 
Automatic  Sprinkler-Head 
Soldering,  3 

Avoid  Acid  Fumes,  Clean¬ 
ing  Zinc  to,  49 

—  Chattering  of  a  Scraper, 
84 

—  Lengthwise  Strokes  in 
Finishing  Wipe  Joints,  116 


B 

Bad  and  Good  Brazing,  156 
Band  Saw,  Brazing.  160 
— ,  Brazing  Clamp,  162 
Band  Saws,  Methods  of 
Holding  and  Brazing,  161 
Bed  Ticking  Pads,  124 
Beginning  a  Wipe  Joint,  no 
Bevel,  Length  of,  on  Sol¬ 
dering  Coppers,  71 
Bit.  Copper,  Cleaning  a,  16 
— ,  Hatchet  the,  10 
Bits,  Protect  from  Air,  16 
Blacking  Pipe  before  Wip¬ 
ing,  107-110 

- for  Immersion  Braz¬ 
ing,  150 

Blow  Pipe,  Gasoline,  Home¬ 
made,  52 

- Soldering  on  Char¬ 
coal,  61 

- ,  Soldering  with,  33 

- ,  Soldering  with  the,  58 

- ,  Squeeze  Soldering,  59 

- ,  the,  31 


Blow  Pipe  Torch,  63 
- Pitted  Joint  Solder¬ 
ing,  60 

- Flames,  Action  of,  32 

- Gas,  61 

- .Gasoline  Arrange¬ 
ment,  63 

Blow  Torch  Furnace,  29 

- Furnaces,  Theory  of, 

30 

- ,  Gasoline,  25 

- Heating  with  and  Tin¬ 
ning  Copper  with  a,  91 

- ,  Soldering  with  a,  89 

- ,  Starting  a,  28 

Blow  Torches,  Gasoline, 
Defects  of,  27 

- ,  Leakages  in,  27 

Blue  Vitriol,  46 

Board,  Card,  Perforating, 

8; 

Boiler,  Range,  Gas  Gener¬ 
ator,  63 

Boilers,  Steam,  Fusible 
Plugs  for,  3 
Boracic  Acid,  65 

- Flux,  66 

Borax  and  Potash,  65 

—  and  Resin.  Dissolving.  43 

- ,  Heat  Effect  on,  7 

- ,  Soldering  Fluids,  45 

—  and  Spelter,  Applying,  147 
— ,  a  LTniversal  Flux  for 

Hard  Soldering,  7 
— ,the  Foundation  of 
Fluxes,  65 

— ,  the  Proper  Flux  for 
Welding  Operations,  7 
Branding  Appliances,  Elec¬ 
tric,  143 

Brass  and  Copper,  Method 
of  Tinning.  90 
Brass  Foundry,  Soldering 
Coppers  from,  13 


INDEX. 


1G7 


Brass  Wire  Scratch  Brush, 
the,  85 

Brazed  Articles,  Dropping 
into  Water,  160 

—  Joint,  Cleaning  a,  159 
Braze,  Ferrule,  Heating  a, 

1 59 

Brazing,  144 

—  Band  Saw,  160 
— ,  Alloys  for,  147 

—  and  Poor  Soldering, 
Causes  of,  66 

—  a  Plate,  Butt,  154 

—  a  Plate,  Lap,  155 

—  Appliance  for  Pipe,  151 

—  a  Saw,  Slovenly  Job  of, 
161 

—  Band  Saws,  Methods  of, 
161 

—  by  Conducted  Heat,  145 

—  by  Electricity,  145 
— ’by  Immersion,  145 

- ,  Preparing  Work  for, 

149 

- ,  Rapidity  of,  151 

- ,  Tank  for,  149 

- ,  Wiring  and  Blacking 

Pipe  for,  162 

—  Clamp  for  Band  Saws, 

150 

—  Ferules,  157 

— ,  Fluxes  for,  147 
— ,  Good  and  Bad,  156 
— ,  Materials  for,  146 

—  or  Hard  Soldering,  145 

—  Pots  and  Kettles,  152 

—  Tongs,  163 

—  Valve  Stems,  155 

— ,  Preparing  a  Y  Joint  for, 
152 

— ,  Various  Methods  of,  144 
— ,  Various  Methods  of 

Heating  for,  146 


Brick  Method  of  Tinning 
Coppers,  20 

Brightening  and  Scraping, 
150 

Britannia  Ware,  Mending,  3 

Bronze  and  Aluminum, 
Fluxes  for,  46 

Brush,  Scratch,  the,  84 

Bulging  and  Uneven  Seams, 
Cause  of,  70 

Bunsen  Burner,  Operating 
a,  25 

- ,  the,  25 

Burned  Seams,  Lead,  Imi¬ 
tating,  76 

Burning  Coppers,  Prevent¬ 
ing  from,  7 

— ;  Lead,  2 

—  or  Autogeneous  Solder¬ 
ing,  2 

— ,  Tin,  2 

Butt  Brazing  a  Plate,  154 


C 

Calibrating  the  Hydrome¬ 
ter,  53 

Capillary  Attraction,  72 
Carbonate  of  Soda,  65,  100 
Card  Board,  Perforating,  87 
Care  of  Electric  Soldering- 
Tools,  13 1 

—  of  Electric  Soldering 
Tools,  143 

—  of  Vulcan  Soldering 
Tools,  138 

—  of  Wipe  Pads,  124 
Cartridge  Tyne  of  Electric 

Soldering  Tool  Heaters, 

137 . 

—  Unit,  the  Glorite  Stand¬ 
ard,  137 


168 


INDEX. 


Case  Hardening  a  Scraper, 
22 

Casting  in  Soldering  Cop¬ 
per  Handles,  13 

—  Solder  “  Pigs,”  39 
Catch  Solder  while  Wiping 

Joints,  no 

Cause  of  Defective  Solder¬ 
ing,  68-69 

— of  Rouo-h  Seams,  77 

—  of  Uneven  and  Bulging 
Seams,  70 

—  of  Trouble,  one,  in  Elec¬ 
tric  Soldering  Tools,  127 

Causes  of  Poor  Soldering 
and  Brazing,  66 
Cavities  in  Wipe  Joints,  1 1 8 
Clamp,  121 
Cement,  Metallic,  2 
(.Tanging  Melting  Point  by 
Heat  and  Pressure.  3 
Characteristics  of  a  Flux,  5 
Charcoal,  Blow  Pipe,  Sol¬ 
dering  on,  61 

—  Flux,  8 

Chemical  Methods,  Pulver¬ 
izing  by,  54 

Chattering  of  a  Scraper, 
Avoid,  84 

Chloride  of  Sodium,  99 

—  of  Zinc,  43 

—  of  Zinc,  Preparing  44 

—  of  Zinc  Solution,  91 

—  of  Zinc,  Tinning  with.  48 

—  Zinc  Solution,  Filter  the, 
50 

Clamp,  C,  121 

—  for  Brazing  Band  Saws, 
162 

Cleaning  a  Brazed  Joint.  159 

—  a  Copper  Bit.  16 

—  Coopers,  Acid  Method  of, 
17 


Cleaning  Coppers  before 
Tinning,  15 

—  Coppers,  Filing  or  Scrap¬ 
ing  Methods  of,  17 

— .  Hard  Solder  Joint,  when 
should  be  done,  60 

—  Zinc  to  Avoid  Acid 
Fumes,  49 

Clean  Solder,  Dip  Out.  124 
Close  Fitting  Wipe  Joints. 

Importance  of,  1 19 
Closely  Fitted  Joints  for 
Soldering,  5,  33.  97 
Cold  Solder  on  Wipe  Joints. 

119 

—  "Shuts”  in  Wipe  Joints, 

120 

Colophony,  Action  of.  42 
Coloring  Soft  Solder 
Seams,  46 

Commencing  the  Wiping 
Operation,  no 
Commercially  Profitable 
Coppers,  1 1 

Common  Form  of  Electric 
Soldering  Tool,  129 

—  Forms  of  Soldering  Cop¬ 
pers,  9 

—  Fluxes,  41 

Commonly  Used  Solders,  2 
Composition  of  Very  Soft 
Solders,  3 

Comparison  of  Solder 
Melting  Points,  36 
Compounds  and  Soldering 
Fluids,  34 
— ,  Soldering,  41 
— ,  Soldering,  Making.  54 

—  Stored  in  small.  Close 
Vessels,-  55 

Conducted  Heat,  Brazing 
by,  1 4-; 

Connections  for  Electric 
Soldering  Tool,  130 


INDEX. 


169 


Contact,  Tinning  by,  92 
Cooling  Tongs,  164 
Copper  and  Brass,  Method 
of  Tinning,  90 

—  Bit,  Cleaning  of,  16 

—  Corner  of,  Soldering 
with  a,  72 

—  Hatchet,  Heavy,  Using 

of,  13 

— ,  Heat  Transmitted  from 
a,  72 

— ,  Judging  Heat  of  a,  72 
— ,  Light,  Soldering  Heavy 
Work  with  a,  90 
— ,  Soldering  Handles,  Cast¬ 
ing-in,  13 

— ,  Soldering-,  Household,  11 
— ,  Soldering,  Improved 
Handles  for,  14 
— ,  Soldering  Wire,  13 

—  Solution,  46 
— ,  Straight,  9 

— ,  Tinning  with,  Heating 
with  the  Blow  Torch,  91 
Coppers,  Cleaning,  Acid 
Method  of,  17 

— ,  Cleaning  before  Tin¬ 
ning,  13 

— ,  Cleaning,  Filing  or 
Scraping  Methods  of,  17 
— ,  Filing,  12 

— ,  Forging  to  Shape,  Man¬ 
ner  of,  12 

— ,  Preventing  from  Burn¬ 
ing,  7 

— ,  Profitable  Commercially, 

1 1 

— ,  Round,  Forging  a,  11 
— ,  Size  and  Shape  of,  13 
— ,  Soldering,  Com  m  o  n 

Forms  of,  9 

— , — ,  for  Model  Work,  14 
— ,  —  from  Brass  Foundry, 


Coppers,  Soldering,  Handles 
for,  10 

— , — ,  Heating,  24 
— , — ,  Length  of  Bevel,  71 
— , — ,  Patterns  for,  13,  38 
— , — .Position  of,  71 
— ,  — ,  Special  Forms  of,  12 
— ,  Special,  Purchasing,  13 
— ,  Swivel  Head,  10 
— .  Tinning,  the  Brick 
Method  of,  20 
— ,  Tinning  with  a  File,  17 
— ,  Tinning  with  Sal-Am¬ 
moniac,  19 

— ,  Two,  Tinning  at  Once, 
18 

— ,  Using  Soldering,  69 
— ,  with  Wooden  Handle,  10 
Corner  of  a  Copper,  Sol¬ 
dering  with  the,  72 
Correct  Form  of  Wipe 
Joint  Finishing,  117-118 
Corrosion  of  Lead  Pipe  by 
Water,  119 

Cotton  Seed  Oil  and  Fish 
Oil,  123 

Covering  Surface  of  Wipe 
Joint,  hi 

Cultivation  of  Form  in 
Wipe  Joints,  118 
Current  for  Electric  Sol¬ 
dering  Tools,  128 
“  Cut  ”  Acid,  91 
Cutting  Zinc,  Necessary 
Precautions  in,  48 
Cvlindrical  Work,  Flux  on, 
66 


D 

Defect,  a  Leakage,  11 
Defective  Soldering,  Cause 
of,  68-69 


170 


INDEX. 


Defects  of  Gasoline  Blow 
Torches,  27 

— ,  Hot  Metal  in  Wipe 
Joints,  120 

— ,  Some  other  in  Wipe 
Joints,  120 

Delicacy  of  the  Electric 
Soldering  Tool,  133 

Dip  Out  Clean  Solder,  124 

Dirt,  Shop  in  the  Melting 
Pot,  124 

Dirty  Tallow,  Straining,  124 

Discoloring  Temperature  of 
Hardened  Steel,  94 

Dissolving  Borax  and 
Resin,  45 

Distributing  Solder  Sym¬ 
metrically  on  W  ’  e 
Joints,  1 15 

Double  and  Single  Pads  on 
Wipe  Joints,  Using,  115 

Dropping  Brazed  Articles 
into  Water,  160 

—  from  Wipe  Joints,  Sol¬ 
der  Preventing,  114 

Dross  or  Oxide  of  Lead.  6 

Drying  Out  Joints  to  be 
Wiped,  12 1 

Dry  Fluxes  or  Wet,  148 

—  Molds  Before  Using 
Them,  39 


E 

Effect  of  Heat  on  Borax 
and  Resin,  7 

—  of  Water  in  Wipe  Joints, 
122 

Electric  Branding  Appli¬ 
ances,  143 

—  Method  of  Heating  a 
Soldering  Tool,  126 

—  Soldering,  126 


Electric  Soldering,  Speed  of, 
132 

—  Soldering  Tool,  126 

—  Soldering  Tool,  Common 
Form  of,  129 

—  Soldering  Tool,  connec¬ 
tions  for,  130 

—  Soldering  Tool,  Good 
Form  of  Stand  for,  126 

—  Soldering  Tool  Heat¬ 
ers,  Cartridge  Type,  137 

—  Soldering  Tool.  Over¬ 
coming  Prejudice 
against,  133 

—  Soldering  Tool,  Simplex, 
141 

—  Soldering  Tools,  care  of, 

—  Soldering  Tools,  Cur¬ 
rent  for,  128 

—  Soldering  Tools,  Deli¬ 
cacy  of  the,  133 

—  Soldering  Tools,  “  G.  E.” 
137 

—  Soldering  Tools,  Injury 
by  Acid.  134 

—  Soldering  Tools,  Life  of 
the  “  G.  E.,”  137. 

—  Soldering  Tools,  One 

Cause  of  Trouble  in.  147 

—  Soldering  Tools,  Selec¬ 
tion  and  Use  of,  142 

—  Soldering  Tools,  Selec¬ 
tion  of,  136 

—  Soldering  Tools,  Series 
Resistance  of,  128 

—  Soldering  Tools,  Stands 
for,  135 

—  Soldering  Tools,  sure 

quick  Heating,  132 

—  Soldering  Tools.  Tem¬ 
perature  of,  136 

—  Soldering  Tools.  Trouble 
in  Winding,  13 1 


INDEX. 


171 


Electric  Soldering  Tools, 
Weight  of  “  G.  E.”  137 
Electricity,  Brazing  by,  145 
English  Plumber’s  Solder, 
36 

Excess  of  Solder,  Remov¬ 
ing,  68 

Expanding  Pipe  Ends  for 
Wiping,  102 
— - — Plug,  102 
—  Plug,  Parabolic,  102 
Explanatory  and  Introduc¬ 
tory,  1 


F 

Ferrocyanide  of  Potash,  65 

Ferule  Braze,  Heating,  a, 
159 

Ferules,  Brazing,  157 

File,  Old,  Scrapers,  24 

— ,  Tinning  Coppers  with  a, 

}7 

Filing  Coppers,  12 

—  or  Scraping  Methods  of 
Cleaning  Coppers,  17 

Filtering  and  Straining 
Resin  and  Sal-Ammoniac 
Solutions,  54 

Filter  the  Zinc  Chloride  So¬ 
lution,  50 

Fine  Iron  Wire  for  Hold¬ 
ing  Solder,  66 

Fingers,  Position  of  on 
Joint  Wiping  Pads,  115 

Fingers,  Protecting,  while 
Wiping  Joints,  no 

Finished  Joints  without 
Perceptible  Mark,  117 

—  Poorly,  Wipe  Joints,  118 

Finishing  a  Wipe  Joint, 

113,  1 14,  115 

—  Hard  Solder  Joints,  67 


Finishing  Wipe  Joints, 
Avoid  Lengthwise 
Strokes,  116 

Finished  Wipe  Joint,  Cor¬ 
rect  Form  of,  118 

—  Wipe  Joint,  Poor  Form, 
116 

First  Soldering,  Hard,  Sil¬ 
ver  Solders  for,  57 

Fish  Oil  and  Cotton  Seed 
Oil,  124 

Fitting,  Close,  Wipe  Joints, 
Importance  of,  119 

—  Work  Together,  97 

Flames,  Blow  Pipe,  Action 

of,  32  _ 

- — -  Reducing  and  Oxidizing, 
31 

Flanging  Lead  Pipe,  102 

Flat  and  Cylindrical  Work, 
Flux  on,  66 

• — -Pieces  Soldering  Two,  69 

— W'ipe  Joint,  Appearance 
of  a,  120 

Flattening  Down  a  Wipe 
Joint,  120 

Flowers  of  Sulphur,  66 

Fluid,  Soldering  a  Good,  44 

—  Soldering  and  Com¬ 
pounds,  34 

—  Soldering,  Gaudien’s,  45 

—  Soldering,  Lactic  Acid,  44 

Fluids,  Soldering,  Borax 

and  Resin,  45 

—  Soldering,  Methods  of 
Making,  48 

Flux,  Boracic  Acid,  66 

—  Characteristics  of,  5 

—  Charcoal,  8 

—  for  Joint  Wiping,  123 

—  for  Welding  Operations, 
the  Proper,  7 

—  Lime,  Welding  Steel 
with,  7 


172 


INDEX. 


—  in  Place,  Keeping  Hard 
Solder,  67 

—  on  Flat  and  Cylindrical 

Work,  66 

—  Paddle  or  Spatula,  66 

—  Universal,  7 

—  Universal,  Borax  for 
Hard  Solder.  7 

—  Welding,  Silica  as  a,  7 
Fluxes  and  Fluxing,  5,  go 

—  Apply,  when  to,  32 

—  Borax,  the  Foundation 
for.  65 

—  Common,  41 

—  for  Aluminum,  45-46 

—  for  Brazing,  147 

—  for  Silver  Soldering,  65 

—  Mechanical  Action  of,  40 

—  Method  of  Applying  to 
Silver  Soldering,  66 

—  Selecting,  7 

—  Should  be  Applied  when, 
66 

—  Substitution  of,  7 

—  Theory  of  5 

—  Wet  or  Dry,  148 
Fluxing  and  Fluxes.  5-40 
Forge,  Smith's  Substitute 

for,  64 

Forging  Coppers  to  Shape, 
Manner  of,  12 

—  Round  Coppers.  12 
Formation  of  Oxide.  6 
Form,  Common,  of  Electric 

Soldering  Tool,  129 

—  Correct,  of  Wipe  Joint 
Finishing.  117.  118 

—  Cultivation  of  in  Wipe 
Joints,  1 18 

—  Poor,  of  Wipe  Joint.  118 

—  Poor,  of  Wipe  Joint 
Finishing,  116 

Forms,  Common,  of  Solder¬ 
ing  Coppers,  9 


Foundation  for  Fluxes, 

Borax  the,  65 

Foundry,  Brass,  Soldering 
Coppers  from,  13 
Fumes,  Acid,  Cleaning  Zinc 
to  Avoid,  48-40 
Furnace,  Blow  Torch,  29 
Furnaces,  Blow  Torch, 

Theory  of,  30 
Fusible  Plugs,  Tin  for,  3 

- for  Steam  Boilers,  3 

—  Substances,  Soldering,  75 


G 

Galvanized  Iron,  Soldering, 
20 

- Soldering,  96 

- Tinning,  96 

Gas  Blow  Pipe,  61 

- ,  Air,  61 

—  Generator,  Range  Boiler, 

63 

— ,  Hydrochloric  Acid,  Ab¬ 
sorption  of  by  Water,  51 

Gasoline  and  Alcohol, 
Gums  and  Resins  Solu¬ 
ble  in,  45 

—  Blow  Pipe  Arrangement, 
63 

—  Blow  Pipe,  Home  Made, 
62 

—  Blow  Torches,  Defects 
of.  27 

—  Blow  Torch,  the,  25 

—  Leakage,  27 

Gaudien’s  Soldering  Fluid, 

45 

“  G.  E.”  Electric  Soldering 
Tools,  137 

—  Electric  Soldering  Tools, 
Life  of,  137 


INDEX. 


173 


•  < 
Generator,  Gas,  Range 
Boiler,  63 

Gilding  Soldered  Seams,  4 7 
Gold,  Solders  for,  56 
Good  and  Bad  Brazing,  156 
— Soldering  Fluid,  a,  44 
Glorite,  Standard  Cartridge 
Unit,  137 

Gums  and  Resins  Soluble  in 
Gasoline  and  Alcohol,  45 

H 

Half  and  Half  Solder, 
Melting  Point  of,  109 
Handles,  Casting-in,  Solder¬ 
ing  Coppers,  13 

—  for  Soldering  Coppers,  10 
— of  Soldering  Coppers  Im¬ 
proved,  14 

—  Rawhide  and  Leather,  10 

—  Wooden,  Coppers  with, 
to 

Handy  Soldering  Tool,  14 
Hard  Silver  Solders,  57 

- for  First  Soldering, 

57 

—  Solder,  Applying,  66 
Flux,  Keeping  in  Place,  67 
- Joint,  Cleaning  should 

be  done,  when,  68 

- Joints,  Finishing.  67 

- ,  Scraping,  68 

- ,  Penetration  of,  5 

- ,  Universal  Flux  for,  7 

—  Soldered  Work,  Proving, 

68 

—  Soldering  or  Brazing,  145 

—  Steel,  Tinning,  94 
Hardened  Steel,  Discolor¬ 
ing  Temperature  of,  94 

Hatchet  Bit,  10 

—  Copper,  Heavy,  Using  a, 
1 3 


Heat  and  Pressure,  Chang¬ 
ing  Melting  Point  by,  3 

— ,  Conducted,  Brazing  by, 
145 

— ,  Effect  of  on  Borax  and 
Resin,  7 

—  Judging,  of  a  Copper,  72 

— ,  Transmitted  from  a  Cop¬ 
per,  72 

Heating  a  Ferule  Braze, 
159 

—  a  Soldering  Tool,  Elec¬ 
tric  Method  of,  126 

—  for  Brazing,  Various 
Methods  of,  146 

—  of  Electric  Soldering 
Tools,  132 

—  Operation,  Wipe  Joint, 
no 

—  Pipe  for  Wipe  Joints,  109 

—  Solder,  Catch  while  Wip¬ 
ing  Joints,  no 

—  Soldering  Coppers,  24 

—  the  Joint,  hi 

—  with  Blow  Torch  and 
Tinning  with  Copper,  91 

Heavy  Soldering,  88 

—  Work,  Soldering  with 
Light  Copper,  90 

Height  of  Ladle  Above 
Wipe  Joint,  in 

Holding  and  Brazing  Band 
Saws,  Methods  of,  161 

—  Short  Pieces  of  Pipe,  121 

—  Solder,  Fine  Iron  Wire 
for,  67 

—  Work  Solid  when  Wip¬ 
ing  Joints,  121 

Homemade  Gasoline  Blow 
Pipe,  62 

—  Hydrometer,  51-52 

Horizontal  Pipes,  Solder¬ 
ing,  104 


174 


INDEX. 


Horizontal  Spread  of  a 
Wipe  Joint,  120 
Hot  Metal,  other  Wipe 
Joint  Defects,  120 
Household  Soldering  Cop¬ 
per,  11 

How  to  Make  Smooth 
Seams,  76 

Hydrochloric  Acid  Gas  Ab¬ 
sorption  of  by  Water,  2 

- Testing,  50-53 

Hydrometer,  Calibrating  a, 
53 

—  Test,  Selecting  Acid  by, 
53 

— ,  Using  the,  51 


I 

Iron  Absorbed  by  Solder, 
37 

—  and  Steel,  Tinning,  92 

—  Galvanized,  Soldering,  20 
- ,  Soldering,  96 

- ,  Tinning,  96 

— ,  Soldering,  8 

—  Wire,  Fine  for  Holding 
Solder,  67 

Imitating  Lead  Burned 
Seams,  76 

—  Wipe  Joints  in  Pipes,  104 
Immersion  Brazing,  145 
- ,  Preparing  Work  for, 

149 

— , — .Rapidity  of,  151 

- .Tank  for,  149 

— ,  — ,  Wiring  and  Blacking 
Pipe  for,  150 

Importance  of  Close  Fitting 
Wipe  Joints,  1 19 
Improved  Soldering  Copper 
Handles,  14 


Injury  to  Electric  Soldering 
Tools  by  Acid,  134 
Inscrewing  Soldering  Tool 
Tips,  140 

Instinct,  Artistic,  the  in 
Wiping  Joints,  114 
Introductory  and  Explana¬ 
tory,  1 


J 

Job  of  Saw  Brazing,  a  slov¬ 
enly,  161 

Joint  Wipe,  Applying  Melt¬ 
ed  Solder  to,  109 
— ,  Cleaning  a  Brazed,  159 
— ,  Fitted,  Blow  Pipe  Sol¬ 
dering,  60 
—  Heating,  the,  in 
— .  Patched,  is  Undesirable, 
1 15 

— ,  Pipe,  Male  End  of,  102 
— ,  Pouring  Solder  on  the, 
no 

— ,  Sweating  a,  98 
— ,  Symmetrical,  Smooth, 
Solid,  a,  1 17 

— ,  Preparing  for  Brazing, 
152' 

— .Wipe,  a  Finishing,  115 

- ,  Beginning,  no 

- ,  Correct  Form  of 

Finishing,  118 

- ,  Covering  Surface  of, 

1 1 1 

- .Finishing  a,  113-115 

- ,  Finishing  of,  Poor 

Form,  116 

- ,  Flat,  Appearance  of  a, 

120 

- ,  Flattening  Down  of 

120 


INDEX. 


175 


Joint  Wipe,  Heating  Opera¬ 
tion,  no 

—  — .Height  of  Ladle 
Above,  in 

- ,  Horizontal  Spread  of, 

120 

- ,  Melting  a,  120 

- ,  Obstruction  in  Pipe 

at  a,  1 19 

- ,  Poor  Form  of,  118 

- ,  Shaped  too  Quickly, 

1  ]4 

- .Working  Solder  on, 

1 12 

—  Wiper  must  be  an  Artist, 
1 14 

—  Wiping,  Flux  for,  123 
- ,  Pads,  Position  of 

Fingers  on,  115 

- ,  Precautions,  121 

- ,  Softening  Lead  Pipe, 

when,  120 

Jointed,  Wipe,  Scraping 
Pipe,  to  be,  ,106 
Joints  Closely  Fitted,  5,  33, 
97 

— ,  Hard  Solder,  Finishing, 

67 

— ,  Finished  without  Per¬ 
ceptible  Mark,  117 
— ,  Hard  Solder,  Scraping, 

68 

— ,  Soldered,  Strength  of,  56 
— ,  to  be  Wiped,  Drying 
Out,  121 

— ,  Wipe  and  Moisture,  121 

- ,  and  Resin,  124 

- .Avoid  Lengthwise 

Strokes  in  Finishing,  116 

—  — ,  Cavities  in,  118 

- ,  Cold  “  Shuts  ”  in,  120 

- ,  Cold  Solder  on.  nn 

- ,  Correct  Form  of  Fin¬ 
ishing,  1 17 


Joints  Closely  Fitted,  Culti¬ 
vation  of  Form  in,  118 

- ,  Distributing  Solder 

Symmetrically  on,  1 15 

- ,  Effect  of  Water  in, 

122 

- ,  Fitting  Close,  Im¬ 
portance  of,  1 19 

- ,  “  Lick  and  Promise,” 

119 

- ,  Ornamenting,  125 

- ,  other  Hot  Metal  De¬ 
fects  in,  120 

- .Poorly  Finished,  118 

- ,  Poor,  should  be  melt¬ 
ed,  1 16 

- ,  Preventing  Solder 

from  Drooping,  114 

- ,  Removing  Wipe  Pads 

from  Finished,  118 

- ,  Solder  Slumps  in,  112 

- ,  some  other  Defects 

in,  120 

- ,  Stringy  and  Ridgy 

Surface  of,  116 

- ,  Symmetrical,  114 

- ,  Solder  for,  107 

- ,  Heating  Pipe  for,  109 

- ,  Imitating  in  Pipes,  104 

- ,  Ladle  for,  107 

—  — .Lead  Prepared  for, 

108 

- .Making,  105 

- ,  Making  Solder  for, 

109 

—  — ,  Melting  Pot  Used  for, 
106 

- .Pads  for,  no 

- ,  Paper  on,  105 

- ,  Properly  treated  Pipe 

for,  103 

—  — ,  Removing  Superflu¬ 

ous  Solder  from,  115 


176 


INDEX. 


Joints  Closely  Fitted,  Scrap-  ! 
ing  Pipe  for,  106 

- ,  Single  and  Double 

Pads  Using  on,  1 15 

- ,  Tallow  for,  107 

- .Testing  Pipe  to  be, 

123 

- .Tools  for,  106 

—  Wiping,  Catch  Solder 
while  Heating,  no 

- ,  Holding  Work  Solid 

when,  12 1 

- ,  Sense  of  Proportion 

Necessary  in,  114 

- ,  Protecting  F'ingers 

while,  no 

- ( the  Artistic  Iinstinct 

in,  114 

- ,  Time  Necessary  for, 

ns 

Judging  Heat  of  a  Copper, 
72 


K 

Keeping  Hard  Solder  Flux 
in  Place,  67  • 

Kettle,  Tallow.  124 
Kettles  and  Pots,  Brazing, 
152 

Killed  “  Spirits  of  Salt.” 
100 


L 

Lactic  Acid  Soldering 
Fluid,  44 

Ladle  for  W  ipe  Joints.  107 
— .  Height  of  Above  Joint, 
in 

Lap  Brazing  a  Plate,  155 


Lead  and  Tin  Alloys,  35 

—  and  Tin,  Melting  Point 

of,  JCK) 

—  and  Tin  Oxidization,  6 

—  Burned  Seams,  Imitating, 
76 

—  Burning,  2 

—  Dross  or  Oxide,  6 

—  Pipe,  Corrosion  of  by 
Water,  1 19 

- ,  Flanging,  102 

- .Melting  Point  of,  123 

- .  Prepared  for  Wipe 

Joint,  108 

- ,  Sawing.  102 

- ,  Solderin"  101 

- ,  Softening,  when  W'ipe 

Jointing,  120 
Leakage  a  Defect,  119 
— ,  Air  Pump,  27 
— ,  Gasoline,  27 
Leakages  in  Blow  Torches, 

27 

Leather  and  Rawhide  Han¬ 
dles.  10 

Length  of  Bevel  on  Solder¬ 
ing  Coppers,  71 
Lengthwise  Strokes  Avoid 
in  Finishing  Wipe  Joints. 
1 16 

Lick  and  Promise  ”  Wipe 
Joints,  1 19 

Life  of  “  G.  E.”  Electric 
Soldering  Tools.  137 
Light  Copper,  Soldering 

Heavy  Wrork  with  a,  00 
Lime  Flux,  Welding  Steel 
with,  7 

Liquids,  Soldering,  42 
Long  Seams,  Running,  76 
Low  Temperature  Solders. 
Using.  3 

Low  Voltage  Soldering 

Tools,  Resistance  for.  129 


INDEX. 


177 


M 

Making  a  Smooth  Stop  in 
a  Seam,  79 

—  Solder  for  Wipe  Joints, 
109 

—  — ,  Manner  of,  37 

—  Making  Soldering  Com¬ 
pounds,  54 

- Fluids,  Method  of,  48 

—  Wipe  Joints,  105 

Male  End  of  Pipe  Joint, 
102 

Manner  of  Forging  Cop¬ 
pers  to  Shape,  12 

—  of  Making  Solder,  37 
Margin  of  Safety  between 

Solder  and  Pipe,  120 
Mark,  Perceptible,  Joint 
Finished  without,  117 
Materials  for  Brazing,  146 
Match,  a,  Testing  Solder 
Temperature  with,  109 
Mechanical  Action  of 
Fluxes,  40 

Melted  Metals,  Transport¬ 
ing,  7 

—  off,  Poor  Wipe  Joints 
should  be,  116 

—  Solder,  Applying  to  a 
Wipe  Joint,  109 

- ,  too  much,  1 12 

—  Tin,  Temperature  of,  94 
Melting  a  Wipe  Joint,  120 

—  Point,  Changing  by  Heat 
and  Pressure,  3 

- of  Half  and  Half  Sol¬ 
der,  109 

- of  Lead  and  Tin,  109 

- of  Lead  Pipe,  123 

- of  Tin,  109 

—  Points  of  Alloys,  4 
- of  Solder,  Comparison 

of,  36 


Melting  Point  of  Soft  Sol¬ 
ders,  2 

- ,  Solder,  Temperature 

Range  of,  3 

—  Pot,  returning  Solder  to, 
hi 

- ,  Shop  Dirt  in  the,  124 

- Used  for  Wipe  Joints, 

106 

Mending  Tin  or  Britannia 
Ware,  3 

Metal,  Action  of  Acid  on, 
95 

—  Hot,  other  Wipe  Joint 
Defects  in,  120 

— ,  Protection  of,  6 
— ,  Melted,  Transporting  of, 
7 

Metallic  Cement,  1 
Method,  Acid  of  Cleaning 
Coppers,  17 

— ,  Brick,  of  Tinning  Cop¬ 
pers,  20 

— ,  Electric,  of  Heating  a 
Soldering  Tool,  126 
— ,  of  Applying  Fluxes  to 
Silver  Soldering,  66 
— ,  of  Making  Soldering 
Fluids,  48 

— ,  of  Tinning  Brass  and 
Copper,  90 

Methods,  Chemical,  Meth¬ 
ods  by,  54 

—  of  Cleaning  Coppers,  Fil¬ 
ing  or  Scraping,  17 

—  of  Holding  and  Brazing 
Band  Saws,  161 

—  of  Silver  Soldering,  48 
— ,  Soldering,  Tools  and 

Appliances,  8 

— ,  Various,  of  Brazing,  144 
— , — ,  of  Heating  for  Braz¬ 
ing,  146 


178 


INDEX. 


Minuteness  of  Small  Sol¬ 
dering,  88 

Model  Work,  Soldering 
Coppers  for,  14 

Moisture  and  Wipe  Joints, 
181 

Molds,  Dry  before  Using 
them,  39 

—  for  Solder  Sticks,  38 


N 

Necessary  Precautions  in 
Cutting  Zinc,  48 
—  Time  for  Wiping  Joints, 

115  .  o 

Non-Adhering  Solder  in 
Wipe  Joints,  112 


0 

Objects,  Small,  Tinning,  22 
Obstruction  in  Pipe  at  a 
Wipe  Joint,  119 
Obtain  Pure  Tallow,  113 
Oil,  Cotton  Seed  and  Fish 
Oil,  124 

Old  File  Scrapers,  24 
One  Cause  of  Trouble  in 
Electric  Soldering  Tools, 
I27 

Operating  a  Bunsen  Burner, 
25  . 

Operation,  Heating,  Wipe 
Joint,  no 

— ,  Wiping,  Commencing  a, 
1 10 

Operations,  Welding,  Bor¬ 
ax  the  Proper  Flux  for,  7 
Ordinary  Tin,  Soldering,  34 
—  Wipe  Solder,  Pipe  Joint, 

105 


Ornamenting  Wipe  Joints, 

125 

Other  Hot  Metal  Wipe 
Joint  Defects,  120 
Overcoming  Prejudice 
against  the  Electric  Sol¬ 
dering  Tool,  133 
Oxide,  Formation  of,  6 
— ,  or  Dross  of  Lead,  6 
—  Protection  of  Metal,  6 
— ,  Reducing,  8 
— ,  Saving  of,  8 
Oxidization  of  Lead  and 
Tin,  6 

— ,  Proof  of,  6 
Oxidizing  and  Reducing 
blames,  31 

— ,  Process,  Acid,  95 

P 

Paddle,  Flux  or  Spatula,  66 
Pads,  Asbestos,  124 
— ,  Bed  Ticking,  124 
— ,  Double  and  Single,  Us¬ 
ing  on  Wipe  Joints,  1 1 5 
— ,  for  Wipe  Joints,  no 
— .Wipe,  Tallow  on,  125 
— ,  Wipe,  Care  of,  124 
— ,  — ,  Plumbers,  99 
— , — .Removing  from  Fin¬ 
ished  Joints,  1 18 
--.—  Thin,  125 
— ,  Wiping,  Position  of  Fin¬ 
gers  on,  1 1 5 

Paper  on  Wipe  Joints,  105 
Parabolic  Expanding  Plug, 
102 

Paste,  Soldering,  41 
Patched  Joint,  a,  is  LTnde- 
sirable,  1 1 5 
Patching  a  Seam,  78 
Patterns  for  Soldering  Cop¬ 
pers,  13 


INDEX. 


179 


Patterns  for  Solder  Sticks  or 
Bars,  38 

Penetration  of  Hard  Sol¬ 
der,  5 

Perforating  Card  Board,  87 
Pieces  of  Pipe,  Short,  Hold¬ 
ing,  121 

— ,  Soldering  Two  Flat,  69 
Pigs,  Solder,  Casting,  39 
Pine,  White,  Solder  Testing 
Stick,  109 

Pipe  and  Solder,  Margin  of 
Safety  Between,  120 
— ,  Blacking,  before  Wiping, 
107-110 

— ,  Blow,  the,  31 
— ,  — ,  Action  of  Flames,  32 
— ,  — ,  Soldering  with,  33 

—  Brazing  Appliance,  151 

—  End  Expanding  for  Wip¬ 
ing,  102 

—  Expanding  Plug,  102 

— ,  Heating,  for  Wipe 
Joints,  109 

—  Joint,  an  Ordinary  Wipe 
Solder,  105 

- ,  Male  End  of,  102 

—  Lead,  Corrosion  of  by 
Water,  119 

- ,  Flanging,  102 

- ,  Melting  Point  of,  123 

- ,  Prepared  for  Wipe 

Joint,  108 

- ,  Sawing,  102 

- ,  Soldering,  101 

- ,  Softening  when  Wipe 

Jointing,  120 

— ,  Obstruction  in  at  a  Wipe 
Joint,  1 19 

— ,  Pads,  Tallow  the,  125 
— ,  Properly  Treated  for 
Wipe  Joints,  103 
— .Scraping,  for  Wipe 
Joints,  106 


Pipe,  Scraping,  to  be  Wipe 
Jointed,  106 

— ,  Short  Pieces,  Holding 
of,  121 

— .Testing,  to  be  Wipe 
Jointed,  123 

— ,  Wiring  and  Blacking 
for  Immersion  Brazing, 
ISO 

Pipes,  Horizontal,  Solder¬ 
ing,  104 

— ,  Imitating  Wipe  Joints 
in,  104 

— .Placing  for  Wiping 
Joints,  107 

—  Vertical  Soldering,  102 
Placing  Pipes  for  Wiping 

Joints,  107 

Plain  Seam  Running,  a  70 
Plate,  Butt  Brazing  a,  154 
— ,  Lap  Brazing  a,  155 
Plug,  Expanding,  Parabolic, 
102 

— ,  Pipe  Expanding,  102 
Plugs,  Fusible,  for  Steam 
Boilers,  3 
— ,  Tin  for,  3 
Plumbers’  English  Solder, 
36 

—  Wipe  Pads,  99 

Point,  Melting,  of  Lead 
Pipe,  123 
— ,  — ,  of  Tin,  109 
Poor  Form  of  Wipe  Joint, 
n8 

• - of  Wipe  Joint  Finish¬ 

ing,  1 16 

—  Soldering  and  Brazing, 
Causes  of,  66 

—  Wipe  Joints  should  be 
Melted  Off,  116 

Poorly  Finished  Wipe 
Joints,  1 18 


ISO 


INDEX. 


Position  of  Fingers  on 
Joint  Wiping  Pads.  115 

—  of  Soldering  Coppers,  71 
Potash  and  Borax,  65 

— ,  Yellow  Prussiate  of,  65 
— ,  Ferrocyanide  of,  65 
Pots  and  Kettles,  Brazing, 
lS2 

Pot,  Melting  for  Wipe 
Joints,  106 

— .  — ,  Returning  Solder  to, 
in 

— , — .Shop  Dirt  in  the  124 
Pouring  Solder  on  the 
Joint,  no 

Precautions  Necessary  in 
Cutting  Zinc,  48 

—  in  Wipe  Jointing,  121 
Prejudice,  Overcoming, 

Against  the  Electric  Sol¬ 
dering  Tool,  133 
Preparing  Y-Joint  fpr 
Brazing,  152 

—  Chloride  of  Zinc,  44 

—  Work  for  Immersion 
Brazing,  149 

Pressure  and  Heat,  Chang¬ 
ing  Melting  Point  by,  3 
Preventing  Coppers  from 
Burning,  7 

—  Solder  from  Dropping 
from  Wipe  Joints,  114 

Problem  in  Tinning,  16 
Profitable  Coppers  Com¬ 
mercially,  11 
Proof  of  Oxidation,  6 
Properly  treated  Pipe  for 
Wipe  Joints,  103 
Proportion.  Sense  of,  Nec- 
eccary  in  Wiping  Joints, 
1 14 

Protect  Bits  from  Air.  16 
Protecting  Fingers  while 
Wiping  Joints,  no 


Protection  of  Metal,  6 
Protochloride  of  Tin,  92 
Proving  Hard  Soldered 
Work,  68 

Prussiate  of  Potash,  Yel¬ 
low,  65 

Pulverizing  by  Chemical 
Methods,  54 

Pump,  Air  Leakage  in,  27 
Purchasing  Special  Coppers, 
FI 

Pure  Tallow,  to  Obtain,  123 


Q 

Quick  and  Sure  Heating, 
Electric  Soldering  Tools, 
132 

Quit  Wiping  a  Joint,  when 
to,  116 


R 

Range  Boiler  Gas  Gener¬ 
ator,  63 

— .Temperature  of  Solder 
Melting  Points,  3 
Rapidity  of  Immersion 
Brazing,  151 

Rawhide  and  Leather  Han¬ 
dles,  10 

Reducing  and  Oxidizing 
Flames,  31 

—  Oxide,  8 

Removing  Excess  of  Sol¬ 
der,  68 

—  Superfluous  Solder,  08 
- from  Wipe  Joints, 

"5 

—  Pads  from  Finished 
Wipe  Joints,  no 


INDEX. 


181 


Resin  and  Borax.  Dissolv¬ 
ing,  45 

- ,  Heat  Effect  on.  7 

- Soldering  Fluids,  45 

—  and  Sal- Ammoniac  Solu¬ 
tions,  Straining  and  Fil¬ 
tering,  54. 

—  and  a  Wipe  Joint,  124 

—  Soap  a,  55 

Resins  and  Gums  Soluble 
in  Gasoline  and  Alcohol, 
45 

Resistance  for  Low  Voltage 
Soldering  Tools,  129 

—  in  Series,  of  Electric  Sol¬ 
dering  Tools,  128 

Returning  Solder  to  the 
Melting  Pot,  hi 

Ridgy  and  Stringy  Surface 
of  Wipe  Joint,  116 

Rough  Seams,  Cause  of,  77 

Round  Coppers,  Forging,  12 

Running  a  Plain  Seam,  70 

—  Long  Seams,  76 


S 

Safety,  Margin  of,  between 
Solder  and  Pipe,  120 
Sal-Ammoniac,  63 

—  Solutions  and  Resin, 
Straining  and  Filtering, 
54  . 

— .Tinning  Coppers  with,  19 
Salt,  Spirits  of,  Killer,  100 
Salts,  Spirits  of,  99 
Saving  Oxide,  8 
Saw,  Band,  Brazing,  160 
— . — .Brazing  Clamp,  162 

—  Brazing,  a  Slovenly  Job 
of,  1 -61 

Sawing  Lead  Pipe,  102 


Saws,  Band,  Methods  of 
Holding  and  Brazing,  161 
Scraper,  a  Case-Hardening, 
22 

— ,  Chattering  of,  to  Avoid, 
84 

— ,  Tempering  a,  22 
— ,  the,  22 

Scrapers,  Old  Files,  24 
Scraping  and  Brightening, 

150 

—  a  Seam,  83 

—  Hard  Solder  Joints,  68 

—  or  Filin0  Methods  of 
Cleaning  Coppers,  17 

—  Pipe  for  Wipe  Joints,  106 
- to  be  Wipe  Jointed, 

106 

Scratch  Brush,  the,  84 
- ,  the  Brass  Wire,  85 

—  —Tinning  with  a,  85 
Seam,  Making  a  Smooth 

Stop  in  a,  79 
— ,  Patching  a,  78 
— ,  Scraping  a,  83 
— ,  Plain,  Running  a,  70 
Seams,  Bulging  and  Un- 
eaven,  Cause  of,  70 
— ,  Lead  Burned,  Imitating, 
76 

— ,  Long,  Running,  76 
— ,  Rough,  Cause  of,  77 
— ,  Soldered,  Gilding,  47 
— ,  Soft  Soldered,  Coloring 
of,  46 

— ,  Smooth,  how  to  Make  76 
— .Vertical,  Soldering,  81 
— ,  very  Light  Soldering,  74 
Selected  Solders,  35 
Selecting  Acid  by  Hydrom¬ 
eter  Test,  53 
— 'Fluxes,  7 

—  Solder,  34 


1S2 


INDEX. 


Selection  and  Use  of  Elec¬ 
tric  Soldering  Tools,  136- 
141 

Sense  of  Proportion  Neces¬ 
sary  in  Wiping  Joints,  114 
Series  Resistance  of  Elec¬ 
tric  Soldering  Tools,  128 
Shape  and  Size  of  Coppers, 
13  _ 

Shaping  a  Wipe  Joint  too 
Quickly',  1 16 

Shop  Dirt  in  the  Melting 
Pot,  124 

Short  Pieces  of  Pipe,  Hold¬ 
ing,  121 

“  Shuts,”  Cold,  in  Wipe 
Joyits,  120 

Silica  as  a  Welding  Flux,  7  i 
Silver  Solders  for  After- 
Soldering,  58 

- ,  Hard,  57 

- ,  Hard,  for  First  Sol¬ 
dering,  57 

- ,  Softer,  57 

- ,  where  Used,  56 

—  Soldering,  55 

- ,  Fluxes  for,  65 

- ,  Methods  of,  58 

- ,  —  of  Applying  Fluxes 

to,  66 

Simple  Soldering  Tools,  22 
Simplex  Electric  Soldering 
Tool,  140 

Single  and  Double  Pads, 
Using  on  Wipe  Joints,  115 
Size  and  Shape  of  Coppers, 

13 

—  of  Solder  Stream,  111 
Slovenly  Job  of  Saw  Braz¬ 
ing.  161 

Slumps,  Solder  in  Wipe 
Joints,  1 12 

Small  Objects,  Tinning,  22 


Small  Soldering,  Minute¬ 
ness  of,  88 

Softening  Lead  Pipe  when 
Wipe  Jointing,  120 
Soften  Silver  Solders,  57 
Soft  Solder  Seams,  Color¬ 
ing  of,  46 

—  Solders,  Composition  of, 
3 

- ,  Melting  Points  of,  2 

—  (Very)  Solders,  Com¬ 
position  of,  3 

Solder  and  Pipe,  Margin  of 
Safety  Between,  120 

- -  Applying,  79 

— ,  Clean,  Dip,  124 
— ,  Cold  on  Wipe  Joints, 
119 

— ,  English  Plumber’s,  36 
— .Excess,  Removing  of,  68 

—  for  Wipe  Joints,  107 

— .Half  and  Half,  Melting 
Point  of,  109 
— ,  Hard,  Applying,  66 

—  Hard  Joint  Cleaning, 
when  should  be  done,  68 

- .Joints,  Finishing,  67 

- .Joints,  Scraping,  68 

- .  Keeping  Flux  in 

Place,  67 

- ,  Penetration  of,  5 

— ,  Heating,  Catch  while 
Wiping  Joints,  no 
— ,  Holding,  Fine  Iron  Wire 
for,  67 

— ,  Iron,  Absorbed  by,  37 
— ,  non-adhering  in  Wipe 
Joints,  1 12 

— ,  Making  for  Wipe  Joints. 
109 

— ,  Manner  of  Making,  37 
— .  Melted.  Applying  to  a 
Wipe  Joint,  109 


INDEX. 


183 


Solder,  Melting  Points, 
Comparison  of,  36 

- ,  Temperature  Range 

of,  3 

Pigs,  Casting,  39 
— ,  Pouring  on  the  Joint,  no 
— ,  Preventing  Dropping 
from  Wipe  Joints,  114 
— ,  Returning  to  the  Melt¬ 
ing  Pot,  in 
— ,  Selecting,  34 

—  Sticks,  Molds  for,  38 
- Patterns  for,  38 

— ,  Soft,  Seams,  Coloring 
of,  40 

— ,  Stream,  Size  of,  in 
— ,  Superfluous,  Removing, 
98 

—  — .from  Wipe  Joints, 
115 

— ,  Symmetricaily,  Distrib¬ 
uting  on  Wipe  Joints,  115 
—.Temperature  Testing 
with  a  Match,  109 
— ,  Tensile  Strength  of,  9 7 
— ,  Testing  Stick  of  White 
Pine,  109 

— .Wiping,  Testing  Tem¬ 
perature  of,  109 
— ,  Working  on  a  Wipe 
Joint,  12 

—  Slumps  in  Wipe  Joints, 
1 12 

Solders  commonly  used,  2 

—  for  Gold,  56 

— ,  Silver,  for  After-Sol¬ 
dering,  58 
— ,  Selected,  33 
— ,  Hard  Silver,  for  First 
Soldering,  57 
— ,  Silver,  Hard,  57 
Softer,  57 

— ,  — ,  where  used,  56 
— ,  Soft,  Melting  Points  of,  2 


Solders,  Very  Soft,  Com¬ 
position  of,  3 

— ,  Using  Low  Tempera¬ 
ture,  3 

Soldered  Hard  Work, 
Proving,  68 

—  Joints,  Strength  of,  56 

—  Seams,  Gilding,  47 
Soldering,  Autogeneous  or 

Burning,  2 

— •  Automatic  Sprinkler 
Heads,  3 

— ,  Blow  Pipe  Fitted  Joint, 
60 

— , - ,  on  Charcoal,  61 

—  Compounds,  41 
- Making,  54 

—  Copper  Handles,  Casting 
in,  13 

—  Coppers,  Common  Forms 
of,  9 

- -,  for  Model  Work,  14 

- -  from  Brass  Foundrv, 

13 

- ,  Handles  for,  10 

- ,  Handles,  Improved,  14 

- ,  Heating,  24 

- .Household,  11 

- ,  Length  of  Bevel  on, 

71 

—  — ,  or  Soldering  Iron,  8 

—  — .Patterns  for,  13-38 

- ,  Position  of,  71 

- ,  Special  Forms  of,  12 

- .Using,  69 

- -,  Wire,  13 

— ,  Defective,  Cause  of,  63- 
69 

— ,  Electric,  126 

—  Fluid,  a  Good,  37-44 

- ,  Gaudien’s,  45 

- ,  Lactic  Acid,  44 

—  Fluids  and  Compounds, 
34 


1X4 


INDEX. 


Soldering  Compounds. 
Borax  and  Resin,  45 

- ,  Methods  of  Making, 

48 

—  Fusible  Substances,  75 

—  Galvanized  Iron,  20-96 
— ,  Hard,  or  Brazing,  145 
— ,  Heavy,  88 

— ,  Heavy  Work  with  a 
Light  Copper,  90 

—  Horizontal  Pipes,  104 

—  Iron  or  Soldering  Cop¬ 
per,  8 

—  Joints  Closely,  5,  33,  97 

—  Lead  Pipe,  101 

—  Liquids,  42 

—  Ordinary  Tin,  34 

—  Paste,  41 

—  and  Brazing,  Poor, 
Causes  of,  66 

—  Silver  Fluxes,  for,  65 

1  1 55 

— , — .Methods  of,  58 
— , — .Method  of  Applying 
Fluxes,  66 

— ,  Small,  Minuteness  of, 
88 

— ,  —  Work,  86 
— ,  Speed  of,  71 
— ,  Squeeze,  Blow  Pipe,  59 

—  Tool,  Electric,  126 
- , — .Cartridge  Type  of 

Heaters,  137 

- ,  — ,  Common  Form  of, 

129 

- ,  — ,  Overcoming  Pre¬ 
judice  Against.  133 
- , — .Method  of  Heat¬ 
ing  a,  126 

- ,  a  Handy,  14 

- ,  Simplex  Electric,  141 

- ,  Unscrewing  Tips,  140 

—  Tools,  Appliances  and 
Methods,  8 


Soldering  Tools,  Connec¬ 
tion  for  Electric,  130 

- ,  Electric,  Care  of,  13 1  - 

M3 

- , — ,  Care  and  Use  of, 

142 

- , — .Current  for,  128 

- , — .Delicacy  of,  133 

- , — ,  Injury  to  bv  Acids, 

134 

- .  — ,  One  Cause  of 

Trouble  in,  127 

- , — .Selection  of,  136 

- ,  — ,  Speed  of,  132 

- ,  — ,  Stands  for,  135 

- ,  — ,  Sure  and  Quick- 

Heating,  132 

- .  — ,  Temperature  of, 

136 

- , — .Trouble  in  Wind¬ 
ing,  1 31 

- ,  “  G.  E-  137 

- .Life  of  the  “  G.  E.” 

137 

- ,  Low  Voltage,  Resist¬ 
ance  for,  129 

- ,  Series  Resistance  of 

Electric,  128 

- ,  Simple,  22 

- ,  Vulcan,  138 

—  Two  Flat  Pieces,  69 

—  Vertical  Pipes,  102 
- Seams.  8r 

—  Very  Light  Seams,  74 

—  with  Blow  Pipe,  33,  58 

—  with  the  Corner  of  a 
Copper.  72 

—  with  Tin  Foil,  97 

—  with  a  Blow  Torch,  89 
Sodium,  Chloride  of,  99 
Solid,  Smooth,  Symmetrical 

Joint,  1 17 

Soluble  Resin  and  Gums  in 
Gasoline,  45 


INDEX. 


185 


Solution,  Copper  a,  46 

—  of  Zinc,  47 

—  Zinc,  Chloride,  Filter, 
the,  50-91 

Solutions,  Sal-Ammoniac 
and  Resin,  Filtering  and 
Straining,  14 

Some  other  Defects  in  Wipe 
Joints,  120 

Spatula  or  Flux  Paddle,  66 
Special  Coppers,  Purchas¬ 
ing,  13 

—  Forms  of  Soldering  Cop¬ 
pers,  12 

Small  Work,  Soldering,  86 
Smith’s  Forge,  Substitute 
for,  64 

Smooth  Seams,  How  to 
Make,  76 

— ,  Solid,  Symmetrical 
Joint,  1x7 

—  Stop  in  a  Seam,  Making 
a,  79 

Soap,  Resin,  55 
Soda,  Carbonate  of,  65-100 
Speed  of  Electric  Soldering 
Tools,  132 

—  of  Soldering,  71 
Spelter  and  Borax  Apply¬ 
ing,  147 

Spirits  of  Salt,  99 

- ,  Killed,  100 

Spread,  Horizontal  of  a 
Wipe  Joint,  120 
Sprinkler  Head,  Automatic, 
Soldering  of,  3 
Squeeze  Soldering,  Blow 
Pipe,  59 

Standard  Cartridge  Unit, 
the  Glorite,  137 
Stands  for  Electric  Sol¬ 
dering  Tools,  135-136 
Starting  a  Blow  Torch,  28 


Steam  Boilers,  Fusible 
Plugs  for,  3 

Steel  and  Iron,  Tinning,  92 
— .Hardened,  Temperature 
of,  94 

— ,  Hard,  Tinning,  94 
— .Welding  with  Lime 

Flux,  7 

Steam,  Valve,  Brazing,  155 
Sticks,  Solder,  Molds  for, 
38 

Stick,  White  Pine,  for  Test¬ 
ing  Solder,  109 
Stop,  Smooth,  Making  in  a 
Seam,  79 

Stored  Compounds,  in 
Small,  Close  Vessels,  55 
Straight  Copper,  the,  9 
Straining  and  Filtering 
Resin  and  Sal-Ammoniac 
Solutions,  54 
—  Dirty  Tallow,  124 
Stream,  bolder,  Size  of,  in 
Strength  of  Soldered  Joints, 
56 

— ,  Tensile,  of  Solder,  97 
Stringy  and  Ridgy  Surface 
of  Wipe  Joint,  116 
Strokes,  Lengthwise,  Avoid 
Finishing  Wipe  Joints 
with,  1 16 

Substances,  Soldering.  Fu¬ 
sible,  75  „  .  ,  , 

Substitute  for  Smith  s 

Forge,  64 

Substitution  of  Fluxes,  7 
Sulphur,  Flowers  of,  66 
.sulphuric  Acid,  99 
Superfluous  Solder,  Remov¬ 
ing.  98 

- ,  Removing  from  Yv  ipe 

Joints,  115 

Surface,  Covering  of  Wipe 
Joint,  hi 


1S6 


INDEX. 


Surface,  Ridgy  and  Stringy, 
of  Wipe  Joints,  116 
Surfaces,  Zinc.  Tinning,  91 
Suet,  Trying  Out,  124 
Sure  and  Quick  Heatin'*  of 
Electric  ooldering  Tools, 

132  .  -o 

Sweating  a  Joint,  98 
Swivel  Head  Coopers,  10 
Symmetrical,  Smooth,  Solid 
Joint,  a,  11 7 
—  Wipe  Joints,  114 
Symmetrically  Distributing 
Solder  on  Wipe  Joints, 
H5 


T 


Tallow,  Adulterated,  124 
— .Dirty,  Straining,  124 

—  for  Wipe  Joints,  107 

—  Kettle,  124 

— .Pure,  to  Obtain,  123 
— ,  the  Pipe  Pads,  125 
Tank  for  Immersion  Braz¬ 


ing,  149 

Temperature,  Discoloring 
of  Hardened  Steel,  94 
— ,  Low,  Using  Solders  for, 


—  of  Electric  Soldering 
Tools,  136 

—  of  Melted  Tin,  94 

—  Range  of  Solder  Melting 
Points,  3 

— .Testing  of  Wipin"  Sol¬ 
der,  109 

— , —  Solder  with  a  Match, 
109 

Tempering  a  Scraper,  22 

Tensile  Strength  of  Solder, 
97 


Test,  Hvdrometer,  Select¬ 
ing  Acid  by,  53 
Testin'*  Hydrochloric  Acid, 
5°:53 

—  Pipe  to  be  Wipe  Jointed. 
123 

—  Solder  Temperature  with 
a  Match,  109 

—  Stick  of  Wrhite  Pine  for 
Solder,  109 

—  Temperature  of  Wiping 
Solder,  109 

Theory  of  Blow  Torch 
Furnaces,  30 

—  of  Fluxes.  5 
Thin  Wipe  Pads,  125 
Ticking,  Bed,  Pads,  124 
Time  Necessary  for  Wiping 

Joints.  1 15 

—  Required  for  Heating 
Electric  Soldering  Tools, 
J3° 

Tin  and  Lead  Alloys,  35 
— and  Lead,  Melting  Point 
of.  109 

— ,  Burnine.  2 

—  Foil,  Soldering  with,  97 

—  for  Fusible  Plugs,  3 

— ,  Melted,  Temperature  of, 
94 

— ,  Melting  Point  of,  109 
— ,  Ordinary.  Soldering,  34 

—  Protochloride  of,  92 

—  Ware,  Mending,  33 
Tinning.  Before  Cleaning 

Coppers,  15 

—  Brass  and  Copper,  Meth¬ 
od  of,  90 

—  by  Contact,  92 

—  Coppers,  the  Brick  Meth¬ 
od  of.  20 

- with  a  File,  17 

- with  Sal-Ammoniac.  19 

—  Galvanized  Iron,  96 


INDEX. 


1S7 


Tinning  Hard  Steel,  94 

—  Iron  and  Steel,  02 

—  Problem,  16 

—  Small  Objects,  22 

—  Soldering  Coppers,  15 

—  Two  Coppers  at  once,  18 

—  with  Cloride  of  Zinc,  48 

—  with  the  Copoer  and 
Heating  with  the  Blow 

T  -h,  91 

—  with  the  Scratch  Brush, 

8S. 

—  Zinc  Surfaces,  91 

Tips,  Soldering  Tool,  Un¬ 
screwing,  140 

Too  much  Melted  Solder, 
112 

Tool,  Electric  Soldering, 

126-1 

— , - ,  Common  Form  of, 

129 

-, - ,“G.  E”  137 

— , - ,  Good  Form  of 

Stand  for,  136 
— ,  - - ,  Overcoming  Pre¬ 

judice  Against,  133 

—  Heater,  Cartridge  Type 
of’.  *37 

— ,  Simplex,  Electric  Sol¬ 
dering,  141 

— ,  — ,  Soldering,  a  Handy, 
M 

— .  — ,  Electric  Method  of 
Heating  a,  126 
- — , — .Unscrewing  Tips,  140 
Tools,  Appliances  and 
Methods  for  Soldering,  8 
— ,  Electric,  Soldering,  Care 
of,  131,  143 

— , — •, — ,  Care  and  Use  of, 
M3 

— , — , — ,  Current  for,  128 
Delicacy  of,  133 


Tools,  Electric  Soldering, 
Injury  by  Acids,  134 
— , — , — ,  Life  of  the  “  G. 
E.”  137 

— ,  — ,  — ,  One  Cause  of 

Trouble  in,  127 
— , — , — .Selection  of,  136 
— ,  — ,  — ,  Series  Resistance 
of,  128 

— , — , — .Speed  of,  132 
— ,  — ,  — ,  Stands  for,  135 
— ,  — •,  — ,  Sure  and  Quick 
Heating,  132 

— ,  — ,  — ,  Temperature  of, 

136 

— , — , — .Trouble  in  Wind¬ 
ing,  131 

—  for  Wipe  Joints,  106 

— ,  Low  Voltage  Soldering, 
Resistance  for,  129 
— ,  Soldering,  Connections 
for,  130 

— ,  — ,  Simple,  22 
— , — .Vulcan,  138 
Tongs,  Brazing,  163 
— ,  Cooling,  164 
Torch,  Blow,  Furnace  a,  29 
— ,  — ,  Furnaces,  Theory  of, 
30 

— ,  — ,  Gasoline,  25 
— ,  — •  Pipe,  63 
— ,  — ,  Starting,  28 
Torches,  Blow,  Gasoline, 
Defects  of,  27 
— ,  — ,  Leakages  in,  27 
Transmitted,  Heat,  from  a 
Copper,  22 

Transporting  Melted  Met- 
als,  7 

Trouble  in  Electric  Solder¬ 
ing  Tools,  One  Cause  of, 
127 

—  in  Winding  Electric  Sol¬ 
dering  Tools,  131 


188 


INDEX. 


Trying  Out  Suet,  124 

Two  Coppers.  Tinning  at 
Once.  18 

—  Flat  Pieces,  Soldering,  6q 

Type  of  Tool  Heaters, 

Cartridge,  137 

U 

Uneven  and  Bulging  Seams, 
Cause  of,  70 

Unit,  Cartridge,  the  Stand¬ 
ard  Glorite,  137 

Universal  Flux,  a,  7 

- .  Borax,  for  Hard  Sol¬ 
der,  7 

Use  and  Selection  of  Elec¬ 
tric  Soldering  Tools,  142 

Using  Low  Temperature 
Solders,  3 

—  Single  and  Double  Pads 
on  Wipe  Joints,  115 

—  Soldering  Coppers,  60 

—  the  Heavy  Hatchet  Cop¬ 
per,  13 

—  the  Hydrometer,  51 


V 

Valve  Stems,  Brazing,  155 

Various  Methods  of  Braz¬ 
ing,  144 

- of  Heating  for  Braz¬ 
ing,  146 

Vertical  Pipes.  Soldering, 
102 

—  Seams.  Soldering,  81 

Very  Light  Seams,  Solder¬ 
ing,  74 

Vessels,  Compounds  Stored 
in,  55 

Vitriol.  Blue,  46 


V  Joint,  a,  Preparing  for 
Brazing,  152 

Voltage,  Low,  Soldering 
Tools  Resistance  for,  120 
Vulcan  Soldering  Tools,  138 


W 

Water,  Corrosion  of  Lead 
Pipe  by,  119 

— ,  Effect  of  in  Wipe  Joints, 
1 22 

— ,  Dropping  Brazed  Arti¬ 
cles  into,  160 

Ware,  Mending  Tin  and 
Britannia,  3 

Weight  of  “  G.  E."  Electric 
Soldering  Tools.  137 
Welding  Flux,  Silica  as  a.  7 

—  Operations,  Borax  the 
Proper  Flux  for,  7 

—  Steel  with  Lime  Flux.  7 
Wet  or  Dry  Fluxes,  148 
When  Fluxes  should  be  Ap¬ 
plied,  66 

—  Cleaning  Hard  Solder 
Joint  should  be  Done,  68 

—  to  Apply  Fluxes,  32 

—  to  Quit  Wiping  a  Joint. 
1 16 

White  Pine  Solder  Testing 
Stick,  109 

Winding  Electric  Soldering 
Tools,  Trouble  in,  13 1 
Wipe  Joint,  Applying  Melt¬ 
ed  Solder  to,  109 

- .Beginning,  no 

- ,  Covering  Surface  of. 

hi 

- ,  Finishing  a,  1 13- 1 15 

- ,  Finishing,  Correct 

Form  of,  118 


INDEX. 


ISO 


Wipe  Joint,  Flat  Appear¬ 
ance  of  a,  120 

- ,  Flattening  Down  of  a, 

120 

- ,  Heating  Operation, 

no 

- ,  Height  of  Ladle 

above,  in 

- ,  Horizontal  Spread  of, 

120 

- ,  Melting  a,  120 

—  — ,  Obstruction  in  Pipe 
at  a,  119 

- ,  Poor  Form  of,  118 

- ,  Precautions,  121 

—  — ,  Shaped  too  Quickly, 

1 16 

- ,  Working  Solder  on, 

112 

—  Jointed,  Scraping  Pipe  to 
be,  106 

—  — .Testing  Pipe  to  be, 

123 

—  Jointing,  Softening  Lead 
Pipe,  when,  120 

—  Joints  and  Moisture,  121 
- and  Resin,  124 

— .Avoid  Lengthwise 
Strokes  in  Finishing,  116 

- .Cavities  in,  118 

- ,  Cold  “Shuts”  in,  120 

- .Cold  Solder  on,  119 

- ,  Correct  Form  of  Fin¬ 
ishing,  1 17 

—  — .Cultivation  of  Form 
in,  118 

- ,  Distributing  Solder 

Symmetrically  on,  1 1 5 

—  — .Effect  of  Water  in, 
122 

- ,  Importance  of  Fitting 

Close,  1 19 

- ,  Heating  Pipe  for,  109 


Wipe  Joint,  in  Pipes,  Imitat¬ 
ing,  104 

- ,  Ladle  for,  107 

- ,  Lead  Prepared  for, 

108 

- ,  “  Lick  and  Promise,” 

119 

- ,  Making,  105 

- ,  Making  Solder  for, 

109 

- ,  Melting  Pot  Used  for, 

106 

—  — ,  Non-Adhering  Solder 
in,  1 12 

- ,  Ornamenting,  125 

- ,  Other  Hot  Metal  De¬ 
fects  in,  120 

- ,  Removing  Pads  from, 

1 18 

- ,  Removing  Superflu¬ 
ous  Solder  from,  115 

- ,  Pads  for,  no 

- ,  Paper  on,  105 

- ,  Poor,  should  be  Melt¬ 
ed  Off,  1 16 

- .Poorly  Finished,  1 18 

- ,  Preventing  Solder 

Dropping  from,  114 

- ,  Properly  treated  Pipe 

for,  103 

- ,  Scraping  Pipe  for, 

106 

- ,  Solder  for,  107 

- .Solder  Slumps  in,  112 

- ,  Some  other  Defects 

in,  120 

- ,  Stringy  and  Ridgy 

Surface  of,  116 

- .Symmetrical,  114 

- ,  Tallow  for,  107 

- ,  Drying  Out,  I2t 

- ,  Tools  for,  106 

- ,  Using  Single  and 

Double  Pads  on,  115 


190 


INDEX. 


Wipe  Pads,  Care  of,  124 

- ,  Plumbers’,  99 

- ,  Removing  from  Fin¬ 
ished  Joints,  1 18 

- ,  Thin,  125 

Wipe— Solder,  Ordinary 
Pipe  Joint,  105 
Wiper,  Joint,  Must  be  an 
Artist,  1 14 

Wiping  a  Joint,  when  to 
Quit,  1 14 

—  Expanding  Pipe  Ends 
for,  102 

—  Joint,  Flux  for,  123 

—  Joints,  Catch  Solder 
while,  no 

- .Placing  Pipes  for,  107 

- ,  Protecting  Fingers 

while,  no 

- 1  Sense  of  Proportion 

Necessary  in,  114 
- .Artistic  Instinct  in, 

114 

- ,  Time  Necessary  for, 

115 

- ,  Holding  Work  Solid 

when,  1 21 

—  Operation,  Commencing 
the,  no 

—  Solder,  Testing  Temper¬ 
ature  of,  109 

Wire,  Brass,  Scratch  Brush, 
the.  85 

—  Iron,  Fine  for  Holding 
Solder,  67 

—  Soldering  Copper,  13 


Wiring  and  Blacking  Pipe 
for  Immersion  Brazing, 
150 

\\  ooden  Handles,  Coppers 
with,  10 

Work,  Fitting  Together,  97 
— ,  Heavy,  Soldering  with  a 
Light  Copper,  90 
— ,  Holding  Solid,  when 
Wiping  Joints,  121 
— ,  Model,  Soldering  Cop¬ 
pers  for,  14 

— ,  Preparing  for  Immer¬ 
sion  Brazing,  149 
— ,  Small,  Soldering,  86 
— ,  Soldered,  Hard,  Prov¬ 
ing,  68 

Working  Solder  on  a  Wipe 
Joint,  112 

Y 

Yellow  Prussiate  of  Pot¬ 
ash,  65 

Z 

Zinc,  Solution  of,  47 
— ,  Chloride  of,  43-44 
— , — .Tinning  with,  39-48 
- ,  Solution,  Filter,  the, 

5° 

— ,  Cleaning  to  Avoid  Acid 
Fumes,  49 

— ,  Cutting,  Necessary  Pre¬ 
cautions  in,  48 
— ,  Surfaces,  Tinning,  91 


ETTY  CENTER 


LIBRARY 


3  3125  00140  9347 


